One Middlesbrough fan is far from happy at the prospect of a £20m sale of Ben Gibson to Newcastle.
Gibson was Middlesbrough’s top performer in the season just finished and was called up into Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
The defender has came through the ranks going out on loan to the lower divisions with recent deals suggesting that he is worth in excess of £20m- or a third of the figure that Liverpool were prepared to pay for Virgil van Dijk.
If Newcastle managed to get £30m for Sissoko then Ben Gibson is worth £40m and De Roon is worth £20m.
— tom (@teessidetom1986) May 23, 2017
Gibson would seem an ideal signing for Newcastle with his local know how and an outstanding season in the top flight behind him. So far the only bid to come in was from Stoke City with an offer of £12m.
Rafa Benitez would prefer to bring in tried and tested English talent but is finding that a premium has to be paid with better value available in Spain and Portugal.
If Gibson can be bought for close to £20m it would represent great value in the current market- and send at least one Boro fan into a deep depression.