Chelsea and Tottenham interested in Middlesbrough defender

There hasn’t been a lot to shout about for Middlesbrough this season but the form of Ben Gibson has been an exception to the rule and now they look set to lose their rising star, claims The Sun.

Gibson has impressed for the Premier League strugglers in his first taste of top-flight football this season and he has been on the periphery of the England squad all season, dating back to when Sam Allardyce was in charge of the Three Lions.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte first register an interest in the Boro star around the time of Allardyce’s short tenure as England boss but a string of consistent performances ever since have also caught the eye of Tottenham.

Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly earmarked Gibson as the ideal defender to help Spurs implement a back three on a regular basis next season alongside Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, but his signature will not come easy.

Middlesbrough owner Steve Gibson will be reluctant to lose his nephew but their position will be significantly weakened if they are relegated back to the Championship at the first attempt this season.

Steve Agnew’s side are currently seven points adrift of safety and have actually won fewer games than Sunderland, who are bottom of the Premier League. While they have been solid defensively, scoring goals has proved their biggest problem, having netted fewer times than any other team in England’s top flight (22 goals scored).

For more stats on Ben Gibson, click here to visit his WhoScored player page