Everton Announce £6m Capture of Talented Newcastle Star Lewis Gibson on 3-Year Deal

Everton have snapped up promising England Under-17 international defender Lewis Gibson on a three-year deal.

The Newcastle United academy graduate has put pen to paper on a contract that will keep him at Goodison Park until June 2020 following his supposed £6m arrival from the north east.

Speaking to the Toffees' official site after his move was completed, Gibson explained why a switch to Merseyside was "brilliant" for his career as he became the latest edition to David Unsworth's Under-23 title-winning squad.

He beamed: "Everton is a brilliant club and when the opportunity presented itself I wanted to be part of it.

"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."

Gibson had emerged as one of the Magpies' brightest prospects from the youth academy, and featured for Newcastle at Under-18 and Under-23 level before he decided to depart for Everton.

The centre-back had received glowing reports from scouting networks up and down the country for his displays, but it was the Blues who moved to lure the 17-year-old north before the competition could become too fierce for him.

Gibson has become the fifth summer signing for Unsworth's youth side ahead of the defence of their title crown, and joins fellow new recruits Natangelo Markelo, Jose Bowler, Anton Donkor and Boris Mathis is completing transfers to the ambitious Toffees.