Ben Gibson applauding the Middlesbrough fans. (Getty Images)
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Burnley must forget about interest from Bundesliga giants and focus on retaining this defensive beast – Here’s why

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Burnley opinion: Burnley should hold onto Ben Gibson

According to a report from the Burnley Express, Burnley centre-back Ben Gibson has been linked with a move away from Turf Moor after struggling to accommodate himself at his new club.

The interested club are German Giants Schalke, who have just hired David Wagner, the former manager of Huddersfield Town.

The transfer is a loan bid and Wagner will know all about Gibson’s strengths after spending a few years in England.

Burnley were flying high after their 7th-place finish in the league in the 2017/18 season and added Ben Gibson to add some depth to the squad.

Unfortunately for the former Middlesbrough player, he only made one appearance the whole season.

It wouldn’t be unbelievable to think that most people weren’t even aware that he made the move from Boro to Burnley. That’s how significant he was to Sean Dyche in a rather disappointing season.

Ben Gibson

This, of course, was also due to injuries but maybe next season can be different for the Englishman. He was one of Middlesbrough’s standout players, after all. He even impressed in the one season under Boro, where they were in Premier League.

Boro got relegated that season but they were still a very solid team defensively.

It was a shame that their attack was simply toothless. Boro weren’t that different to Burnley under Aitor Karanka. They prioritized their defence shape to their attacking shape so by all accounts, Gibson would have been an ideal player to have at Turf Moor. 

Sean Dyche has a difficult season ahead of him as there are no guarantees with the Premier League as he saw last season. Burnley were very close to the drop zone but had a real change in fortunes with the return of their inspirational captain and goalkeeper, Tom Heaton.

He got some calmness back into the squad and Burnley finished the season safely. This could have been due to lack of preparation for European competition but momentum is everything in football.

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If he can work on his fitness, Gibson could still offer a lot to Burnley, especially with James Tarkowski being linked with clubs in the Premier League.

Gibson must take his chances this season and Sean Dyche should know that he can trust a player who has proved himself to be capable in the Premier League in the past.