Stoke City set sign Norwich City star

The 31-year-old has recently seen his time at Carrow Road ended, and now he could be about to find a new home at the bet365 Stadium.

Stoke City are set to sign free agent defender Ben Gibson following his release from Norwich City, per TEAMtalk.

Steven Schumacher’s side have moved quickly to snap up one of the bigger names on the Championship free agent market, as they look to bolster their defensive options ahead of next season.

The 31-year-old saw his four-season spell with the Canaries brought to end this summer, having spent three of those years in the second tier, with a 2021/22 Premier League season in-between.

Now the experienced Championship central defender looks to have found a new home in the Potteries, as Stoke look to start making progress up the division next season.

Gibson set for Stoke move

According to a report from TEAMtalk, the Potters are on the verge of completing a deal to bring Gibson to the Midlands.

It isn’t clear from the report as to the length of the potential contract he will sign, but it can be predicted that it will be a one-two-year deal.

The former Middlesbrough and Burnley defender is to become a free agent on the July 1, and the report states that it is Stoke who are at the front of the queue for his signature.

A Middlesbrough academy graduate, Gibson would make his debut for his hometown club back in the 2010/11 season, before successive loan spells with York City and Plymouth Argyle respectively.

Gibson would go on to become a stalwart in the Middlesbrough defence during the mid-2010s, and was able to put Championship play-off final heartbreak in the 2014/15 season behind him and go on to earn automatic promotion to the Premier League with his boyhood club in the 2015/16 season

It was during the Premier League season of 2016/17 that he would receive his first ever senior England call up, but he was not afforded the opportunity to make his debut.

He would soon make a move to Burnley for a joint club record fee of £15m in August 2018, before his latest club Norwich in July 2021 for a reported fee of £8m.

Gibson would be shrewd Stoke signing

At 31, Gibson has surpassed the dreaded 30 mark, but there should be enough tread on his tyres to see him through another couple of seasons at Championship level.

A left-footed centre-back, Gibson can open up new passing lanes and opportunities out of defence because of this, and would offer a new method of starting attacks. Being left-footed has also seen Gibson being able to cover as left-back if required, adding further versatility to his team.

Gibson knows exactly what it takes to win at Championship level, having done it with both Middlesbrough and Norwich City respectively.

He’s been a respected presence in Championship defences in the seven seasons he’s played a first-team role in, and would be an ideal replacement for the recently released Ciaran Clark.

Stoke are looking to be shrewd and clever in how they navigate through the transfer market, and so being able to add a former England central defender who’s played well over 200 times in the second tier should be viewed as smart business.

As such, Stoke City fans should welcome this news as a positive start to what could be a busy summer of additions at the bet365 Stadium, as Schumacher looks to move his side away from relegation candidates, and closer to play-off hopefuls.