The Sun have it wrong again, Ben Gibson will not replace Eric Dier

TRANSFER TALK

The Sun are suggesting that Mauricio Pochettino wants 24-year-old (25 next March) Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson to play alongside Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen in a back three next season. Let's be clear, the Sun have no idea who Mauricio Pochettino wants to play next season, there is no way he will have told them and alerted other managers what his plans are. Quite apart from the fact that it is almost certainly wrong.

We may well be watching him and their suggestion that Chelsea wants him, Liverpool and Manchester City is hearsay. The Metro throw Arsenal at the story. It is the typical press way, throw all big clubs at a story and the gullible will lap it up.

Eric Dier is right-footed and Jan Vertonghen is left-footed. Wherever possible we play a right-footer and a left-footer on each side, it is easier to defend on your natural side and it eliminates one small area where a mistake may occur. Ben Gibson is left-footed, suggesting he would not replace Eric Dier at all, but Jan Vertonghen and that isn't going to happen.

Cameron Carter-Vickers is highly thought of and has had a season training with the first team under Pochettino's guidance. He will be providing cover for the right side of the defence. At the moment we have Ben Davies who could cover the left in the event of Kevin Wimmer leaving.

If we sign Luke Shaw that may be his role in the squad, covering Vertonghen, if not then a left-sided backup centre-back will be needed. Gibson could fill that role but is likely to want regular first team football.

We may well be interested, but the Sun have got the story completely wrong, a basic piece of research would have told them that.

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