Burnley complete first summer signing for joint record fee

 

Burnley have confirmed the signing of former Middlesbrough captain Ben Gibson via their official website.

The Clarets had been inactive in the transfer window prior to the defender’s arrival but they have finally sprung into action, announcing that the 25-year-old arrives for a ‘joint club record fee’.

Burnley had been heavily linked to former Swansea centre-back Alfie Mawson prior to his switch to Fulham but have moved fast to ensure that they don’t miss out on another target.

Gibson will now vie for a starting berth with the likes of James Tarkowski, Ben Mee and Kevin Long but the fee paid suggests that the new man will be first choice at the heart of Sean Dyche’s defence this season.

 

 

A mainstay at the back for Boro of the best part of five years, the England youth international was quickly earmarked as a leader at the Riverside and has missed just one of a possible 86 league matches over the past two seasons.

He played every minute of the Teessiders’ 2016/17 Premier League campaign and was mooted for a senior international call up having made the step up in impressive fashion.

Linked with a move this time last year following Boro’s relegation back to the second tier, Gibson stayed on to help the club to a play-off finish but couldn’t lead the side past Aston Villa in the semi-finals.