Forest Star Valued at £100m as Manchester City Eye Summer Move | OneFootball

Potential Successor to a Premier League Icon

Kevin De Bruyne’s impending Manchester City exit has already begun shaping the summer transfer narrative. With the Belgian midfielder set to leave at the end of the season, talkSPORT reports that Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White has emerged as a serious contender to fill the void. De Bruyne’s departure represents more than just the loss of six Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy—it creates a seismic gap in City’s tactical DNA.

“Gibbs-White could become the chosen replacement after another excellent campaign with Forest,” talkSPORT state, marking the 25-year-old as a player of significant interest. The numbers back that up: 110 appearances for Forest, 16 goals, 27 assists, and a key figure in their unlikely top-four push.

Photo: IMAGO

£100m Valuation Reflects Rising Status

Forest are no longer the grateful survivors—they’re now power brokers. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side reportedly want £100 million for their midfield talisman, putting him in the same bracket as Jack Grealish and Declan Rice. “City bought Grealish from Aston Villa for £100m in 2021… broken in 2023 when Declan Rice left West Ham for Arsenal in a £105m move,” the article reminds us.

This assertive price tag reflects not only Forest’s ambitions but also Gibbs-White’s status as one of England’s most complete creative midfielders.

England Recognition and Silverware Hopes

This season has brought national recognition. “Ex-interim England boss Lee Carsley handed the midfielder his first ever senior international call-up in September,” with Gibbs-White featuring in Nations League victories over Ireland and Greece. It’s a moment long in the making, as the Forest man continues to rise.

He’s still yet to lift a major trophy, but with an FA Cup semi-final against City on April 27 and a genuine top-five Premier League finish on the cards, everything could change. Forest are currently third on 57 points, potentially en route to their first Champions League appearance since 1980/81.

Champions League Football in Reach

With Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid ensuring five English teams will qualify for next season’s Champions League, Forest’s fairytale now feels tangible. Hosting Everton next, they aim to cut the gap to second-placed Arsenal to just two points.

As one source close to the club suggests: “We’ve gone from fighting relegation to Europe’s elite—why shouldn’t Morgan be part of that journey?”

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

If you’d said at the start of the season that we’d be dreaming of Champions League nights at the City Ground and slapping a £100m tag on one of our own, you’d have been laughed out of Nottingham. But here we are—third in the table, in an FA Cup semi-final, and Morgan Gibbs-White playing like a man possessed.

He deserves every bit of that valuation. When City fans see him gliding through midfield and threading passes no one else sees, they’ll understand why. “Gibbs-White has made 110 appearances… scoring 16 goals and assisting a further 27” isn’t just a stat—it’s a story of a leader.

Yes, £100m is a hefty fee. But we’re not just selling a player—we’re potentially giving up our talisman, our heartbeat. With Champions League football within touching distance, part of me hopes we keep him one more year. But if he goes, let it be as a European-qualified hero. We’re not just Forest anymore. We’re contenders.