Stoke City are closing in on the signing of departing Norwich City defender Ben Gibson, according to a report from TEAMtalk.
Stoke City are gearing up for an important season as they look to arrest their concerning slide down the Championship table in recent years.
The Potters have struggled ever since dropping out the Premier League and in the 2023/24 campaign, they had a close call with relegation. They were embroiled in the fight at the bottom of the division for much of the season but clawed their way out and finished 17th in the end.
Steven Schumacher will be entrusted with leading another summer of change in Staffordshire as he leads his first summer window with the club.
Now, it is claimed Stoke City are close to an early breakthrough on the transfer front.
TEAMtalk reports that the Potters are close to the signing of centre-back Ben Gibson on a free transfer.
The 31-year-old is available for nothing this summer after Championship rivals Norwich City confirmed his deal will not be renewed and it looks as though Schumacher and co have acted quickly to strike a deal.
Gibson on the move
A change of scenery awaits Gibson this summer following four years on the books at Norwich City. He first signed on loan in 2020 and the move was made permanent the following summer.
He’s spent his entire career in England football having also spent time at Middlesbrough and Burnley and with a fresh start around the corner, it looks as though he’ll remain in England and in the Football League.
The 31-year-old left-footed defender has played 67 times in the Premier League but the vast majority of his career has been in the Championship.
Gibson has 233 second-tier appearances to his name, so he’ll bring plenty of Championship pedigree to the Stoke City backline as Schumacher looks to bolster his options.
The current centre-back department
Centre-back is an area Stoke City desperately need to add to this summer, so an early free transfer move for someone of Gibson’s experience makes for smart business for the Potters.
Ciaran Clark will be moving on when his deal ends while Luke McNally returns to Burnley at the end of his loan.
That leaves just Ben Wilmot and Michael Rose as the central defender options heading into next season.
Gibson will almost certainly be one of at least two centre-back signings Stoke City make this summer. Not only do they need bodies, but they need quality if they’re going to tighten up at the back and avoid yet another disappointing campaign next time around.
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