Ajax & PSV Eindhoven Eye Cut-Price Deal for Everton Youngster Lewis Gibson
By Tom Gott
Exclusive - Dutch giants Ajax and PSV Eindhoven are keen on signing 19-year-old Everton defender Lewis Gibson.
An England youth international, the Toffees had high hopes for Gibson when they lured him away from Newcastle United in 2017, but he is yet to make his senior debut on Merseyside.
With Gibson's contract set to expire at the end of the season, 90min has learned that both Ajax and PSV are ready to compete for his signature, thanks to their connections with the teenager's representatives.
Gibson's agents are based in the Netherlands, and that link has seen both clubs made aware of the chance to land the youngster for a bargain price.
A return to Newcastle has recently emerged as a possibility, while Scottish side Rangers are also keen on striking a deal, but Ajax and PSV are the frontrunners for his signature.
Gibson, who has been part of the England Under-20 side who have competed in the Under-20 Elite League this season, is yet to reach the heights which both he and Everton felt were possible but, at just 19 years old, the two Dutch giants see the chance to help him progress to the next level.
He was part of Everton's pre-season squad and actually enjoyed a number of fairly impressive showings, including grabbing a goal in a 3-1 loss to Mainz 05, but that has not helped him earn a spot in Marco Silva's side.
He is yet to make that breakthrough, and his presence in the senior side's training squad has also seen him lose his place in the Under-23 team. He has started just three games all season and is yet to enjoy an extended run in the side.
Primarily a centre-back, Gibson is also comfortable on the left side of defence, which is where he played during England Under-17's run to World Cup glory back in 2017.