West Brom rope in defender Gibbs

English Premier League (EPL) club West Bromwich Albion FC on Wednesday confirmed the signing of left back Kieran Gibbs from Arsenal on a four-year deal.

"Albion have today completed the signing of England international defender Kieran Gibbs from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee," the club said in a statement.

Commenting on the signing, Albion chairman John Williams said: "I'm delighted to welcome Kieran to the Club. We have recruited another quality addition, an England player with bags of experience at Premier League and Champions League level. We are confident he will do well for us."

Gibbs joined West Brom after turning down a chance to move to Watford.

"I watched the boys in the first few games of the season and they've got a lot of energy. They've made some good signings and I feel this is a good move for me," Gibbs told West Brom's official website.

"There's always a decision to make but I went with my gut feeling. You hear speculation and stories but when it comes down to it you go with what you think is best. I spoke to the manager and he convinced me. I thought this move suited me best," he added.

The 27-year-old England international specially thanked Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger and expressed his joy at joining the new club in a statement on Twitter.

"It has been an amazing journey to play for my childhood club since I was 14. I would like to thank Arsene Wenger for giving me the chance to start my career and fulfil a dream! Thank you all the fans, the Arsenal staff and especially my teammates," Gibbs said.

"Now it's time for the next chapter with West Bromwich Albion and I can't wait to get started with the boys," he added.

Gibbs made 137 appearances for Arsenal from 2007 to 2017 helping the club win the FA Cup thrice and the Community Shield twice.

--IANS

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