Premier League side Burnley have equaled their transfer record to sign defender Ben Gibson from Middlesbrough. The Clarets paid 15 million pounds for the 25-year-old central defender, matching the fee they had paid for striker Chris Wood last summer. Ben Gibson is the first transfer of the summer for Burnley, who are also set to sign Manchester City goalkeeper
Joe Hart. Their decision to sign Hart comes after their first-choice goalkeeper Nick Pope dislocated his shoulder during their Europa League qualifying match against Aberdeen.
Gibson spent his entire youth career at Middlesbrough and made his senior debut in 2011. He appeared in all 38 league matches for Boro in the 2016-2017 campaign, at the end of which they got relegated from the Premier League. Last season he helped the team reach the promotion play-offs but they eventually failed to make it back to the top flight. Ben Gibson is a former England Under-21 international and he even received a call-up for the senior team in March 2017, but has not earned his first cap yet.
"I'm absolutely delighted. It's a big step for me and one I'm really, really excited about," Gibson said about his move to Burnley. "There's a good feel about the place. Burnley is a club that recently has had some fantastic success and I've had some great battles against them myself. I'm looking forward to wearing their colours. I've played for Middlesbrough for 15 years since I was a boy so it's a huge step. Now it's done and dusted I just want to get cracked on and fight to win my place in the team and get to know the boys and be very much part of what's happening." Burnley face Istanbul Basaksehir in a Europa League qualifier on Thursday, and then they open their Premier League season against Southampton on Sunday.
Last season Burnley finished 7th in the Premier League, the best finish in their history, and now they are 9/4 at Bet365 to finish inside the top half of the table again next season.
08/07/18, 04:08:58 PM
