Tottenham Faced With ‘Formal Complaint’ Over ‘Illegal’ Morgan Gibbs-White Approach | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest have officially accused Tottenham Hotspur of making an “illegal approach” for the club’s talismanic playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White, a report has revealed.

In a shock turn of events, Spurs reportedly triggered the £60 million ($81.5 million) release clause which existed in Gibbs-White’s contract. It was then claimed that an enraged Nottingham Forest were considering legal action against their Premier League rivals regarding their approach.

Forest have now formalised that complaint, The Times have reported. The club which finished seventh in last season’s Premier League table claim that the only way Tottenham could possibly have discovered the exact value of Gibbs-White’s release clause is through a “breach in confidentiality”.

This complaint to the Premier League has “halted” all proceedings. Gibbs-White’s Tottenham medical had been scheduled for last Friday only for the club’s vice-captain to then appear at Forest’s pre-season training session on Monday.

There is no timeline for a decision from the Premier League, but past precedent puts Gibbs-White’s future in extreme doubt. Liverpool were accused of a similar offence by Southampton following their interest for Virgil van Dijk in 2017. The Reds had to formally apologise and wait another six months before eventually securing the Dutch defender.

Nottingham Forest Line Up Gibbs-White Replacement

Jacob Ramsey has been linked with an exit. / IMAGO/Pro Sports Images

While there is a significant chance that Gibbs-White moves on this summer, Forest are thought to have advanced their search for a replacement. An approach for Aston Villa playmaker Jacob Ramsey has been floated by The Telegraph.

There is said to be “long-term” interest in Ramsey, whose arrival is not dependent on Gibbs-White given the void left by Anthony Elanga’s completed departure to Newcastle United earlier this summer.

Ramsey only started half of Villa’s Premier League matches last season. Injuries played a role—a hamstring issue midway through the campaign sidelined him for almost two months—while Unai Emery tended to favour the likes of Morgan Rogers.