Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs is set to depart his boyhood club for fellow Premier League side West Bromwich Albion.
Arsène Wenger has been keen to sell the English left-back after Gibbs was demoted to a back-up player with the rise of Nacho Monreal in the Arsenal squad over the past two seasons. The signing of Sead Kolašinac in the summer also put Gibbs’ position in the squad under scrutiny.
Gibbs only made 11 Premier League appearances last season for the Gunners, mainly coming on as a substitute, and the 27-year-old was also captained the side in Arsenal’s short League Cup campaign.
Gibbs had been at Arsenal since the age of 14, and has since gone on to make over 150 appearances for the North London club and represent England on 10 occasions.
Failing to take chances
Despite promising signs early on and comparisons to a young Ashley Cole, Gibbs failed to nail down a first team place in the Arsenal squad, with Wenger opting to use Monreal or Héctor Bellerín in the left-back and left wing-back position.
Watford had been heavily linked with a move for the defender earlier in the window, and reports emerged that a deal only broke down because the club and Gibbs could not agree on personal terms. Galatasaray were also linked with the Englishman.
A frantic few days
But with two days of the transfer window left, it looks like Gibbs has finally found his next club in the form of West Brom. According to reports, the Baggies will pay a fee of £5 million for the defender, with Gibbs set to have a medical at the club later today.
Arsenal will be braced with a frantic two days before the closure of the transfer window, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shkodran Mustafi, and Alexis Sánchez all likely to leave the club before the window slams shut on Thursday night.
In the past 24 hours, the Gunners have been liked with Manchester City duo Raheem Sterling and Sergio Agüero, as well as West Brom captain Jonny Evans.