According to the Mirror’s live blog (27/7, 12:21), Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson is set to tell the club’s owner he wants to move back to the Premier League this summer.

Gibson is reportedly on a collision course with Steve Gibson, the club’s owner and player’s uncle, with the defender desperate to play in the Premier League next season.

West Bromwich Albion have had numerous bids rejected by Boro so far this summer, with the defender’s signature likely to cost well over £20m.

The 24-year-old is now set to push through a move back to the Premier League and turn his back on his boyhood club, as he looks to achieve his World Cup dream.

Gibson earned his first call-up to the senior England squad last season, and despite not yet receiving his first cap, the defender is under consideration by manager, Gareth Southgate.

With the World Cup taking place at the end of the 2017/18 campaign, it is likely that Gibson will only be included in the squad if he is playing Premier League football.

Last season in the Premier League, Gibson featured in all 38 of Boro’s fixtures, helping them keep 11 clean sheets across the season. The defender also scored one goal, which came in a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Verdict

It is easy to side with both parties in this situation, as Middlesbrough clearly want to keep Gibson at the Riverside Stadium, with the hope he can help the club return to the Premier League at the first attempt. However, the lure of Premier League football for the 24-year-old is clearly ruling his commitment to his boyhood club.

If Gibson has any chance of making Southgate’s England squad next summer, he has to move back to the Premier League. And the possibility of representing his country at a World Cup should be enough for Boro to allow the player to leave.

Boro fans… Let us know your thoughts!