Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez is on the lookout to bring Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs to join the newly-promoted club for £15 million
According to a report by The Mirror, Newcastle United are to make a move to sign Kieran Gibbs from Arsenal this summer as Rafa Benitez aims to boost his squad for their upcoming season in the top flight.
The 27-year-old Gibbs has managed to rise up through the ranks at Arsenal after joining originally from Wimbledon back in 2004. Once upon a time, he was even dubbed the ideal successor to Ashley Cole for the Gunners.
However, Gibbs has struggled with injuries almost throughout his career for Arsenal and often ended up losing his spot to other defenders. He has recorded around 250 appearances for Arsene Wenger’s men so far, but lost his spot to Nacho Monreal over recent times.
Gibbs has started just eight Premier League games for the Gunners last season. With players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Nacho Monreal showing up with brilliant displays, Gibbs has lost his place and has fallen too low when it comes to the pecking order.
Schalke’s Sead Kolasinac is rumoured to join Arsenal, and it may be the right time for Gibbs to leave in order to pursue regular football elsewhere, and as of now, it looks like Newcastle United will emerge victorious in luring him to St. James’ Park. Benitez is likely to want an experienced left-back and that is one thing Gibbs has in abundance.
The Magpies have Paul Dummett at left-back currently, but with Achraf Lazaar failing to make an impact since his 2016 move from Palermo, Gibbs can be deployed as a major upgrade at that position.
Although Gibbs would be a good addition to their side, £15 million might seem like a tad bit expensive to pay for a defender who has been prone to injuries for a large chunk of his career. Be that as it may, the ideal situation for Gibbs would be to accept Newcastle’s offer and play regular football.
Meanwhile, Arsenal will also have to deal with potential outward-bound star players Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil as Arsene Wenger looks to assemble a stronger squad next season after signing a two-year contract extension. However, they have also been linked to a double swoop of AS Monaco’s Thomas Lemar and Kylian Mbappe.
