Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson is the most likely player to join West Ham United this summer, according to Football Whispers.
The football site claim the Championship defender could be headed to the London Stadium in the wake of Boro’s failure to secure promotion to the Premier League.
Football Whispers, which gathers all transfer rumours across the globe and calculates the likelihood of them happening, rates it 3.6 out of 5 that Gibson will join West Ham, with five the highest possible ranking and meaning it is a certainty.
He heads the rankings ahead of Manchester United defender Chris Smalling (3.4) and Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter (3.4).
OPINION
Gibson would be an excellent signing for West Ham. A battle-hardened centre-back who has been watched by the Premier League elite for some time, he demonstrated in the recent season that he is one of the finest English defenders outside of those heading to the World Cup this summer. He has just come off an excellent 2017-18 season in which he was integral to Boro pushing strongly for promotion before failing at the play-off stage. Remarkably, Gibson played every minute of all 48 of the north-east club’s Championship matches, proof of his consistency, quality and fortitude. He also looked the part in their Premier League campaign the season before, even if he lacks the finesse of some of those who will wear the Three Lions in Russia this summer. Aged 25, Gibson is entering his peak years, although he will not come cheap as he signed a new Boro contract last October that has four years to run. Football Whispers report that he is valued a £20million, an affordable option for West Ham but an expensive one.
