Nottingham Forest have made it clear that they anticipate Morgan Gibbs-White remaining at the City Ground for at least one more season, despite significant interest from Arsenal, Manchester United, and at least three other Premier League clubs. The 26-year-old attacking midfielder has just completed his most impressive campaign yet, netting 18 goals and providing seven assists for Forest.
Gibbs-White's Rising Stock
Gibbs-White featured regularly for England last year, and many pundits expressed disappointment that he was overlooked for a place in Thomas Tuchel's squad for the upcoming World Cup. His performances have attracted attention from several top-flight sides, with Manchester United linked earlier in the season and Arsenal showing interest just last week.
Interest from Multiple Clubs
Arsenal have made Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers their primary summer target, but reports suggest they will turn to Gibbs-White if they fail to secure Rogers. Tottenham, who came close to signing Gibbs-White last summer, along with Aston Villa and Chelsea, are also believed to be admirers of the player who helped Forest secure their Premier League survival.
Despite the substantial interest, Forest are in a strong negotiating position after Gibbs-White signed a new three-year contract at the City Ground last summer, following Tottenham activating his £60 million release clause. There is also a belief at Forest that while several clubs admire Gibbs-White, he is not yet the first-choice target for either Arsenal or Manchester United.
Transfer Plans of Rivals
Manchester United's focus early in the summer has been on midfield reinforcements. They have already signed Brazil's Ederson from Atalanta in a £35 million deal. However, new permanent head coach Michael Carrick wants at least one more midfielder to arrive at Old Trafford following Casemiro's departure and ongoing uncertainty over Manuel Ugarte.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are interested in signing Argentina striker Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid but are aware that the deal will not be straightforward. Atletico are demanding over £100 million for the former Manchester City star, and Barcelona appear to be leading the race for his signature.
Discussing Arsenal's transfer plans after their Premier League title triumph, Josh Kroenke said: 'The business never stops. Right now there are already other teams who are trying to strengthen and come at us for next season. We need to be aware of that. We've already had a few different conversations about different areas where we think we can improve on and off the pitch. I am looking forward to getting that going this summer but it's going to be an interesting one because of the World Cup but fortunately everyone is coming to the United States so I don't have to travel.'
