Middlesbrough boss Karanka: Chelsea target Gibson should stay

Middlesbrough want to keep defender Ben Gibson at the club for the entirety of his career, according to manager Aito Karanka.

The centre-back has recently been linked with a £30million move to Chelsea where he is seen as a long-term replacement for John Terry.

He is also being closely monitored by England boss Gareth Southgate, who could include him in an upcoming squad.

Karanka believes the Riverside is the best place for Gibson to continue his development, as the Spaniard tries to keep his feet on the ground.

Asked if Gibson is the kind of player he wants to build his team around, the Spaniard said: "Yes, it's always important to keep a player like Gibbo.

"[He's] from the academy, from the city, someone who knows everything here. He is a good example for the academy players and I would like to keep him here all his career.

"But football is football."

Gibson has played every minute of Boro's 20 Premier League games to date and will hope to maintain that record on Saturday when the Teessiders head for Watford intent on revenge for their 1-0 home defeat by the Hornets on October 16.

However, he will run out - if selected - with a warning from Karanka.

He said: "The main thing for him if he wants to grow and he wants to improve is to forget everything, to know that if he is not playing well, the following day he will go to the bench or to the stand.

"That's the only way to improve, playing every day 100 per cent. When one player, especially one defender, is playing well, it's because the team from a defensive point of view is doing really well, but not just this season, for the last three seasons.

"He has a lot of potential. Top teams are speaking about him, the national team is speaking about him.

"But the main thing for him is to forget everything because he is playing - if he plays - on Saturday against Watford and if he thinks other kind of things, he can make a big mistake."