Everton have completed the signing of Lewis Gibson for a fee believed to be in the region of £6m, with the defender agreeing a three-year contract with the Blues and will link up with David Unsworth’s Under-23s squad.
Gibson was regarded as one of Newcastle’s brightest young talents and he had attracted interest from a number of top Premier League clubs.
Everton concluded the deal this morning, in another successful deal sanctioned by Everton’s Head of Recruitment, Steve Walsh.
Because of his age, Gibson who turned 17 last week, was only on scholarship terms, rather than a professional contract with the Magpies.
This meant he was free to leave for a compensation fee, but more importantly, was free to talk with other clubs as he hasn’t signed professional terms at Newcastle.
Everton took advantage of that and sealed the signing this morning, with Gibson citing their reputation of giving youngsters a chance as a big reason as to why he joined the Toffees.
He told Everton’s official website: “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 and several others who are battling for first-team places to know this.
“I’m a player who is willing to put my body on the line, the kind of defender who likes to tackle and is not afraid. I’m excited to be part of things here and I want to continue developing as a player. This is where I want to be.”