Ben Gibson reacts as Norwich City sign Ashley Barnes from Burnley | OneFootball

Ben Gibson has reacted to Norwich City’s signing of Ashley Barnes.

The forward has been confirmed as the Canaries’ first summer signing of the off-season, joining the club on a two-year deal.

Barnes arrives as a free agent following the conclusion of his Burnley contract, having helped the team to promotion back to the Premier League.

The 33-year-old contributed six goals and three assists on their way to a dominant 101 points tally to claim the Championship title.

How has Ben Gibson reacted to Ashley Barnes signing for Norwich City?

Gibson has welcomed his former teammate to Carrow Road, highlighting his excitement to reunite with the forward.

The pair worked together during Gibson’s three-year spell at Turf Moor from 2018 to 2021.

The defender is looking forward to working with Barnes again, with the hope being he can help the team fight for promotion next season.

“Welcome big fella,” wrote Gibson, via Instagram.

“Brilliant news.”

Norwich suffered from a very disappointing campaign under both Dean Smith and David Wagner, finishing in an underwhelming position of 13th.

It was the lowest league finish that the Canaries has earned since 2018, when they finished 14th in the table under Daniel Farke.

Gibson featured 23 times in the league, with the centre back being in and out of the team during the campaign.

Barnes, meanwhile, featured 39 times in the league for the Clarets, albeit only 22 of those appearances came as starts.

Barnes has been with Burnley for a decade, joining the club in 2013 from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Is Ashley Barnes a good signing for Norwich City?

Barnes will bring plenty of valuable experience to this squad, making for a solid replacement for Teemu Pukki.

The 33-year-old proved how useful he can still be at this level with his performances for Burnley this season.

If he can contribute at a similar level over his two seasons then he will prove to be a good signing to Wagner’s side.

The striker has seven seasons’ worth of Premier League experience to his name which will be a great asset to have in the dressing room.

Barnes also knows what it takes to gain promotion to the top flight, making him a prime candidate to become a dressing room leader over the next campaign.