Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is said to be livid with a change of heart from Morgan Gibbs-White, which opened up his delayed potential move to Tottenham, according to an intriguing new report.
Forest have now written a letter to both Gibbs-White's agent and Spurs, threatening legal action over what they're convinced was an unlawful approach from the Lilywhites.
Thomas Frank was set to sign the 25-year-old late last week, with Tottenham poised to trigger his £60 million release clause. A medical was even booked last Friday at Hotspur Way, but after this unexpected twist, Gibbs-White has now been forced to wait.
Tottenham remain hopeful of signing Gibbs-White, despite Forest's intentions not to sell (Sky Sports), and the England international has reportedly made it clear to Marinakis that he wants to join Spurs.
However, Forest appear determined to at least drag out this move for as long as possible, if they can't stop it.
Fabrizio Romano told GiveMeSport on Monday that it is a very "tense" situation, but Spurs are confident they'll be able to proceed soon and make Gibbs-White their fourth signing of the summer after Mathys Tel, Kota Takai and Mohammed Kudus.
If the potential £60 million deal goes through, it would take their summer spending to around £150 million, with chairman Daniel Levy making a serious statement of intent to back new manager Frank ahead of 2025/2026.
Forest are allegedly furious with both the confidentiality of Gibbs-White's release clause being exposed and Tottenham's approach to the player himself, which technically breaks Premier League rules, but it is also very commonplace in today's football transfer market (Rob Dorsett).
Taking this into account, a report by Football Insider and journalist Wayne Veysey has shared more information on the saga, with Marinakis angry for another key reason.
Forest livid after Tottenham hijack part-exchange deal involving Gibbs-White
According to Veysey, Forest were in advanced talks with Man City over a part-exchange deal, which would've seen Gibbs-White go to the Etihad Stadium and James McAtee head to the City Ground.
However, Tottenham hijacked City's move for Gibbs-White, which was close to being finalised, and the playmaker ultimately changed his mind about a move up north - choosing to join Frank's side instead.
This "U-turn" from Gibbs-White and his camp is said to have infuriated Marinakis, and a lot of his anger stems from this.
If Forest are forced to sell the former Wolves star to Spurs, they'll need to head back to the negotiating table with City for McAtee, and could end up paying an even higher transfer fee for the 22-year-old.
As supporters and clubs alike wait for this situation to be resolved, Gibbs-White is back training at Wilford Lane, but Forest still face the very real prospect of losing both Anthony Elanga and their star attacking midfielder in quick succession.