Middlesbrough have placed a £35m price tag on Ben Gibson to try to deter Chelsea from bidding on the young defender, according to reports.

The Blues are said to be in the market for a new centre-back in the New Year, and the 23-year-old has reportedly emerged as one of Antonio Conte's top transfer targets.

According to The Mirror, Boro are desperate to hang on to the nephew of club owner Steve Gibson in January so as to help the Teessiders in their fight for Premier League survival.

However, they are aware that, come the summer, there is bound to be more interest, so they have pegged Gibson's value to the £47m transfer fee that Manchester City paid Everton for John Stones.

Gibson, who is also said to be on the radar of the Toffees, signed a new deal earlier this year to keep him at the Riverside Stadium until 2021.