Manchester City poised to step up interest in Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White | OneFootball

Officials at Manchester City are now ready to intensify their chase to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, according to reports.

Etihad Stadium bosses are currently in pursuit of midfield reinforcements ahead of a summer transfer window that is expected to bring about plenty of change with regards to both arrivals and departures from the first-team squad.

Those alterations will come of the back of a hugely challenging season across all competitions, in which City have gone without a major trophy for the first time since Pep Guardiola’s debut season at the club back in 2016/17.

A mixture of injury and fitness problems as well as ageing legs in crucial positions have meant that City have been unable to compete at the level required to seriously challenge for the biggest of honours.

And while there is likely to be attention on a number of roles including goalkeeper, full-back, and creative midfield, the ‘No.8’ roles and versatile midfield is set to undergo investment, and that has taken the club’s search in the direction of a familiar Premier League name.

According to the information of talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, Manchester City are now ready to step up their interest in Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, having formally walked away from a potential deal for Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz.

It is stated that the England international features ‘prominently’ on the transfer wish list of Etihad Stadium officials, who believe they could prize him away from the City Ground, particularly if Nuno Espirito Santo’s side missed out on UEFA Champions League football.

The 25-year-old is said to have ambitions of playing in Europe’s premier club competition in order to bolster his personal hopes of securing a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

For now, it remains to be seen what sort of role is being anticipated for Gibbs-White in Manchester City’s squad, should a move come to fruition over the course of the coming weeks and months.

Many believe that City would still require a more attack-minded and creative player to fill the void due to be left behind by Kevin De Bruyne, although others have drafted the idea of simply adding numbers into the centre of the park to make up for the loss.

There is also confidence that Phil Foden will return to his exceptional best next season, after a hugely disappointing campaign from the former Premier League Player of the Season, as the Englishman has struggled significantly for opportunities and consistency.