What next for Morgan Gibbs-White? Man City ‘deal’, Nottingham Forest stance..
Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White is on the radar of Manchester City ahead of the summer transfer window.
Nottingham Forest ace Morgan Gibbs-White continues to be at the centre of much transfer speculation ahead of the summer window.
The 25-year-old has been a key part of the Reds’ push for Champions League qualification this season as the one who so often makes Nuno Espirito Santo’s side tick. Perhaps inevitably, his quality has not gone unnoticed by other teams.
The rumour mill has been in full swing as the end of the campaign looms. Below, NottinghamshireLive takes a look at Gibbs-White’s situation and what the summer could hold.
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Season so far
“For me, Morgan is a top, top player. So much talent, so much quality, the level of performance he is giving to us, with the ball, off the ball,” head coach Nuno said of Forest’s No.10 recently.
Gibbs-White has played a huge role in getting the Reds to where they are – in with a chance of qualifying for the Champions League and semi-finalists in the FA Cup. The initial £25 million paid to Wolverhampton Wanderers to sign him in the summer of 2022 has long passed the point of being a bargain.
On and off the pitch, Gibbs-White has established himself as a leader and a big influence at the club. One of the first names on the team-sheet, he is a regular starter and has notched five goals so far this term. He has shown versatility, too, being able to operate in different positions, including in a deeper role.
Although he hasn’t necessarily been at his magical best of late, Gibbs-White’s passion and commitment has never been in doubt. He was handed his England debut by interim boss Lee Carsley last year, then received a late call-up to Thomas Tuchel’s first Three Lions squad in March. However, he did not play a single minute for the German.
Who is interested?
Manchester City were one of several clubs first linked with Gibbs-White in March. Following Kevin De Bruyne’s announcement he is to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer, talk about the FA Cup finalists’ interest has only intensified.
Last month, Gibbs-White and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz were identified by The Athletic as two of the options City would consider to replace De Bruyne in the summer. The pair were tipped to be in the conversation amid the search for the Belgian’s successor.
Things appear to have progressed somewhat since then. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano said last week: “Manchester City plan to advance on Morgan Gibbs-White deal in the next weeks as he remains one of the priority targets. No issues are expected on personal terms but work to do with Nottingham Forest as they still hope to keep MGW.”
The ipaper have suggested a deal for Gibbs-White is “progressing” as he is a “priority target” for sporting director Hugo Viana. It comes after City boss Pep Guardiola made a beeline to speak to the playmaker after his team’s FA Cup semi-final win over Forest – something that did not go unnoticed by Reds staff.
City are not Gibbs-White’s only admirers. The reality of players shining for the Reds means there is always the possibility other clubs will be taking notice, regardless of whether anything comes of that. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with an interest, while Newcastle United were said to have him on their radar back in February.
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