Middlesbrough boss Garry Monk has revealed that he will do all he can to keep Ben Gibson at the Riverside Stadium for the 2017-18 campaign.
Gibson, 24, who received his first England call-up in March, is expected to leave Boro this summer following the club's relegation back to the Championship.
The defender only signed a new five-year contract at the Riverside last August, while he started all 38 of their Premier League matches during the 2016-17 campaign.
Monk was confirmed as Boro's new head coach on Friday after a host of speculation, and the former Swansea City and Leeds United manager has spoken of the importance of keeping Gibson out of the clutches of interested clubs.
"Ben is obviously a big focal point for this club. I've watched him over the last couple of seasons and I'm well aware of what he can bring to this football team," Monk told reporters. "One thing I know from experience is that it's important to keep your best players. Ben is one of those so it's important that he stays.
"It's important that we keep that core of players together to give ourselves the best possible opportunity of achieving the club's ambition, which is to go back to the Premier League.
"Of course discussions will happen and it's my job to sit down with the players and show them the way forward and how we are going to do things. This club is in full control of its own destiny and what it wants to do. I want to keep our best players and the club is in agreement with that."
Liverpool, West Bromwich Albion and Leicester City have all been credited with an interest in the centre-back since the end of last season.
Matt Law
