Arsenal 27-year-old must take significant wage cut to leave with PL rivals keen – report
By Derek Smithson
Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs will have to take a “significant” wage cut this summer if he leaves, according to a report.
Sky Sports claim that the 27-year-old will have a big drop in wages if he leaves the Gunners this summer and that he is currently available for transfer.
It is understood that Watford are interested in signing the left-back and that West Brom are out of the running after seeing a £10million bid rejected earlier in July.
The report details that Gibbs is available for transfer at the right price, having been left out of the club’s pre-season squads.
Gibbs is a product of the Arsenal academy and made his senior breakthrough back in 2007.
The full-back has gone on to make 229 senior appearances for the north London club, but his days seem numbered after slipping down the pecking order.
He made just 22 appearances across all competitions last season and is set to be behind Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac going into the new campaign.
Gibbs has 10 international caps under his belt for England, but has hit a crossroads in his career and has struggled to cement a starting XI position recently.
Football Insider verdict:
Gibbs is an attack minded defender and there are certainly question marks over his defensive qualities. He is unlikely to force his way into contention in the new season and a move away from the Emirates is probably in the best interests of both player and club. However, the left-back could still do a job for most Premier League sides and may just need a fresh start to rediscover his best form. Gibbs will have to take a pay cut to join a new club, but that should not be a problem if his chances of regular first-team action are increased. The 27-year-old should be entering the peak of his career and should not be spending it sat on the Arsenal sidelines.
In other Arsenal transfer news, they are big admirers of a Serie A central midfielder.
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