Middlesbrough’s odds of signing former defender Ben Gibson look to be dwindling.
The 27-year-old is keen to leave Burnley this summer with Nottingham Forest one of the clubs reportedly keeping tabs on his situation, along with Norwich and the Teesside club.
Gibson, a £15m Turf Moor signing two years ago, spent the second half of last season on loan at the Riverside Stadium, and boss Neil Warnock is keen to see him return, with many expecting it to be a formality.
His future under Sean Dyche at Turf Moor looks decidedly bleak, even training away from the rest of the Clarets squad and for a time, back at Boro’s Rockliffe training complex.
According to Teesside Live, however, Boro are yet to make any approach for the wantaway defender and they say ‘financially it's not clear how Boro would make a move work’ with the club working within tight budget constraints.
"It’s probably no secret that I want to get out and play football and have been itching to do so since I signed for Burnley,” Gibson told a recent BBC podcast.
“I’ll have to see what the next few weeks bring.
“Obviously I want to play football, that’s clear as day, but for now I just sit tight and see what happens.”
Gibson's potential move to the City Ground had been linked with Burnley's interest in Joe Worrall, with the Premier League club said to be prepared to offer Gibson plus £4m to bring the defender to Lancashire.
