Kieran Gibbs set for West Brom exit door after major transfer development – report
Kieran Gibbs is in talks with Inter Miami and the MLS side are closing in on the signature of the West Brom left-back, according to The Sun.
He is said to be “keen” to join the MLS side.
After The Athletic’s David Ornstein earlier reported Inter Miami had been rebuffed in their attempts to bring Gibbs in during January it looked like this deal might quieten down but it appears an imminent conclusion could soon be reached with his contract set to expire in June [Transfermarkt].
The 31-year-old has made just 10 Premier League appearances this season and just 26 in total for West Brom since the start of last season as his stock continues to decrease in the West Midlands.
The Sun has exclusively reported that Inter Miami are closing in on a double English swoop with deals for former internationals Gibbs and Ryan Shawcross nearing completion.
They say that the Albion ace has decided to quit The Hawthorns and is keen on a move to South Florida with talks ongoing.
The MLS transfer window reopens on February 10 and does not close until May 4 so there is plenty of time for the David Beckham-owned side to make their move.
Imminent exit could be on the cards
It will be interesting to see if this deal transpires and if it does, when Gibbs will make the move Stateside.
Gibbs started five successive games for Albion in January, beginning with the FA Cup exit to Blackpool on January 9 and culminating in the 2-2 draw with Fulham on January 30 but he has not been involved since.
He was on the bench as West Brom succumbed to a desperately disappointing defeat to Sheffield United on February 2 and five days later he was missing from the squad that travelled to London to take on Tottenham Hotspur.
Conor Townsend has replaced Gibbs for the past two matches after making his recovery from an injury that saw him miss 12 games in December and January and he looks to be the preferred option on the left side of defence.
Whether Albion can afford to let Gibbs go now though is a major point of discussion with a chance of Premier League survival still a possibility, however bleak the chances might seem.
But Sam Allardyce does have options at full-back, albeit on the other side, with Darnell Furlong, Lee Peltier and Dara O’Shea all featuring there while Ainsley Maitland-Niles has enjoyed success as a left wing-back for Arsenal.
The England international has been brought in to play midfield but Big Sam might view him as an emergency option at left-back and alongside the other aforementioned defenders could be enough to see Albion let Gibbs go with the experienced full-back failing to impress this season.
In other West Brom news, Albion fans split over reported interest in EFL defender.
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