According to The Daily Echo, Southampton are said to no longer be interested in pursuing a deal for Middlesbrough centre-back Ben Gibson. However, they could return to the defender later in the window.
Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson has been subject to interest from Everton and Southampton in recent weeks, but it is believed that the Saints have cooled their interest.
Mark Hughes could revisit the deal however, if the Southampton manager fails to land any of his first-choice targets.
Southampton will turn their attention to Borussia Monchengladbach’s Jannik Vestergaard and Barcelona’s Marlon Santos. After selling Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool in January, Southampton failed to replace the Dutchman, and it was believed Gibson would be a more than capable replacement.
However, with their interest cooling, it now puts Everton in the driving seat. Their recent sale of Ramiro Funes Mori, and with speculation surrounding the future of Ashley Williams, Ben Gibson could become a top priority for the Toffees.
Middlesbrough recently signed Bristol City centre-half Aden Flint for a fee in the region of £5 million, and he could be seen to be a direct replacement.
If Boro are to sell Gibson, they will likely be looking for around £15 million. Earlier in the window, Tony Pulis expressed that Middlesbrough would be holding out for around £25 million, but with no bids on the table as yet, their valuation may have be reduced.
Gibson has joined up with his teammates this week, as Boro prepare for pre-season. They face Austrian Bundesliga side Sturm Graz on Thursday, in which Gibson is expected to feature.
