Report: Aston Villa in five-way race to land Premier League defender

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TeamTalk have claimed that Aston Villa are one of five English clubs said to be interested in signing out-of-favour Burnley defender Ben Gibson this summer, with the Clarets willing to offload the centre-back.

Gibson, 26, joined Premier League side Burnley last summer after 204 senior appearances for Middlesbrough, in which he broke through the academy to captain the senior side.

A powerful centre-back that is willing to put his body on the line, Gibson had earned a place in the England side but failed to win a cap. Nevertheless, he joined Burnley last August for £15million (Mirror).

But the 2018-19 campaign could hardly have gone any worse for Gibson. Injury limited him to just five outings, last playing in a 5-0 FA Cup defeat to Manchester City in January.

The report claims Burnley are looking to offload Gibson, either on loan or permanently. There is plenty of competition for his signature, with promoted trio Norwich, Sheffield United and Villa all keen.

Championship sides Sheffield Wednesday and former side Boro are also keen, but Gibson is against dropping to the second tier. He has a contract at Burnley until the summer of 2022.

TBR’s view

Gibson would be a strong signing for Villa, especially given the club’s current options at centre-back. Axel Tuanzebe and Tyrone Mings have returned to their parent clubs, while Tommy Elphick joined Huddersfield.

New central defenders are required and either on loan or for a fee much cheaper than the £15million spent last summer, Gibson would be a decent signing for Villa.

Very strong in the air, but also more than adept on the ball, Gibson would bring much-needed Premier League experience to a side that are likely to be fighting against the drop. It is a no-brainer.