This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
In recent reports from The Daily Mail, Newcastle United are looking to lure back Lewis Gibson, who they sold to Everton in 2017 for a reported fee of £6m. The reports suggest he could be tempted to return to Tyneside now that U23 boss Peter Beardsley has left.
What has he done on Merseyside?
Gibson moved to Merseyside when he was just 16 and has certainly made a name for himself amongst the many young English talents around the country. In 2017, weeks after moving to Everton, Gibson played a role in helping the England U17s win the World Cup, which earned him a regular spot in the Premier League 2 side, playing 17 times in his first campaign.
This season, the defender scored his first goal for the Toffees and has played just twice thus far. Throughout his time at the club, the teenager has mainly stayed with the U23s, meaning he has played above his age group for some time, considering he joined the club at 16 and is still only 19.
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As demonstrated by Transfermarkt, Gibson is also known for his versatility, playing predominantly at centre-back, although he has stepped in as a left-back and even as a left midfielder.
Also, last season, the former Newcastle man played a role in helping the U23s win the Premier League 2 alongside the likes of Mason Holgate and Fraser Hornby, both of which are also struggling for first-team action with Everton.
Gibson may need to leave
As mentioned, Gibson joined the Toffees at just 16, as he believed he saw more of a future with the club. Back in 2017, he told Everton officials (as quoted by Chronicle Live): “The reputation has long been there that Everton brings through young players. You only have to look at the likes of Tom Davies, Kieran Dowell, Jonjoe Kenny”.
However, it has been anything but this for the youngster. Since moving from Tyneside, the centre-back has not yet stepped out for the first-team, despite playing a huge role in the Premier League 2 triumph and proving his worth with England’s successful youth sides.
This year, young stars such as Holgate have found only 17 minutes of Premier League action all season, while Tom Davies has featured for just 20 minutes in the top flight in 2019/20, whilst Jonjoe Kenny has had to move to Schalke on loan to get the game time he needs. Even at 26, left-back Luke Garbutt has had to pack his bags for another loan spell, just to get the minutes he craves.
In truth, Gibson’s plan of moving to Everton to break into the first-team has not happened at all, and if he wants to play senior football soon then perhaps moving back home to Newcastle will be his best idea.
