Nottingham Forest squad belief revealed around Morgan Gibbs-White and Manchester City transfer | OneFootball

The view from within the Nottingham Forest dressing room around Morgan Gibbs-White and a potential move to Manchester City this summer has now been revealed.

The summer transfer window continues to spark speculation over the future of Gibbs-White, with both Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur having been linked with the England international midfielder at various stages in recent months.

While a move to north London is now dominating headlines, new insight reveals how seriously a switch to the Etihad Stadium was being considered — even within the Nottingham Forest squad itself.

Having starred in an arguably overachieving Forest side last season, Gibbs-White emerged as a target for City during the early stages of the summer. The Premier League giants were monitoring his situation as they weighed up midfield reinforcements — particularly amid uncertainty around the futures of players such as Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan.

However, City’s transfer strategy quickly pivoted in another direction, ultimately spending around £70 million to sign both Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan and Rayan Cherki from Lyon — a figure just £10 million more than Gibbs-White’s reported release clause.

Even so, as the following report makes clear, expectations at Forest painted a very different picture at one stage of the window.

According to the information of MailSport’s Tom Collomosse, the expectation among most Nottingham Forest players towards the end of last season was for Morgan Gibbs-White to join Manchester City.

It is further revealed that some members of the squad even hoped a move for the England international midfielder to the Etihad Stadium would be done quickly, with the noise around a possible transfer starting to become a distraction.

As such, it is stated that there was genuine surprise when Manchester City did not initially follow through their interest, and instead paid around £70 million – just £10 million more than Gibbs-White’s release clause – for both Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders in midfield.

The latest revelation comes amid fresh uncertainty surrounding Gibbs-White’s future, now firmly in Tottenham’s crosshairs. Reports earlier this month suggested Spurs were preparing to trigger the £60 million release clause in his contract.

However, a dramatic twist has seen Nottingham Forest threaten legal action, claiming that the clause was subject to confidentiality restrictions that they believe may have been breached.

As per the reporting of the BBC, Forest are investigating whether Tottenham violated Premier League regulations by speaking to Gibbs-White without the necessary permissions — an allegation that, if proven, could complicate or derail the move entirely.

From City’s perspective, the club now appear well-stocked in midfield, but they have not entirely closed the door on late-window moves if opportunities arise. With James McAtee expected to leave permanently, the club are still managing a shift in that department, and while Gibbs-White may no longer be a target, he certainly fits the profile of dynamic, versatile players Pep Guardiola has long admired.