OPINION
Newcastle United must work fast to pull off an audaciously ambitious deal that will have Middlesbrough fans crying if they’re successful.
According to the Northern Echo, Boro’s Ben Gibson is one of three centre-backs on Rafa Benitez’s radar when it comes to replacing Chancel Mbemba who looks like he could depart St James Park shortly.
The local newspaper claimed that the 25-year-old had previously caught Benitez’s eye with his displays with The Telegraph writing in June 2017 that after the defender made it clear he wanted to leave Boro, the Magpies were monitoring his situation.
Gibson ended up staying put at Boro for the 2017/18 campaign and was a dominating force in the 51 appearances he made, his displays were nearly enough to help Tony Pulis’ side win promotion through the playoffs.
However after seeing his side fail to get out of England’s second tier, there’s no doubting that the centre-back will have one eye on the exit door this summer.
With the 25-year-old being the nephew of Boro chairman Steve Gibson and being a key player of Tony Pulis’ current team, fans of the club will be in tears if the Magpies audaciously welcomed him to St James Park.
But that’s exactly what the Magpies should do this summer.
Gibson is the perfect centre-back signing needed at the club so that Benitez can rotate between three options in the heart of his defence, with Jamaal Lascelles and Florian Lejeune remaining his first-choices.
The Boro centre-back aside from his impressive performances in his outings in the 2017/18 campaign, achieved a pass success rate of 80.1% (WhoScored) and would fit into Benitez’s style of play beautifully.
The deal would not just be audacious due to it being between two local rivals but Mike Ashley must use his reluctance to spend for the greater good on this occasion.
Boro, according to Sky Sports in January, value the defender at the £20million mark and the Magpies owner needs to shatter that illusion of theirs and successfully strike a deal at a much lower price point.
This is possible given Gibson’s previous desire to leave Boro and the fact that the Telegraph previously reported that Boro couldn’t get that amount last summer and the situation has not drastically changed to see a club spend £20million in this window.
The Magpies are more than capable of exploiting it previously being public knowledge that Gibson wanted to leave and get a bargain by scooping him up.
Therefore Benitez’s side should make their local rivals, Boro, cry by successfully pulling off an audacious deal for their rival’s star enforcer that is currently on the Magpies boss’ mind.
