Nottingham Forest have reported Tottenham Hotspur to the Premier League after taking issue with their move for Morgan Gibbs-White.
Spurs signed Mohammed Kudus from West Ham this week, and almost immediately after sealing that deal, Daniel Levy decided to make a move for the Reds star.
However, as TBR Football confirmed, Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was furious that Tottenham had found out about Gibbs-White’s release clause.
Forest have been considering legal action against Spurs since, and that has put the transfer on hold, for now.
What Tottenham may have to do to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest
It was a surprise to see Tottenham move so quickly to sign Morgan Gibbs-White.
Levy usually takes his time to negotiate the best deal possible, but reports claimed that Spurs were ready to trigger Gibbs-White’s £60 million release clause.
A move looked like it would be done earlier in the week, but Forest have, for the time being, put a stop to it by contacting the Premier League.
Now, super-agent Sky Andrew, who has been involved in many transfers over the years including the controversial Sol Campbell to Arsenal move, has had his say.
Speaking on talkSPORT, the agent revealed that for the deal to go through, Tottenham will probably have to pay more than Gibbs-White’s £60 million release clause.
He said: “Here’s the thing, guys, it’s very difficult to prove that a club went directly to a player without the permission of the club. We’re getting into all sorts of things here — phone records and everything.
“If it goes to arbitration, where it must go within the football rules and regulations, then Forest will have to prove that the club went directly to the player or to the agent. Most clubs know that it is very difficult to prove.
“So, this is a case now of how much will the buying club pay for the player. It won’t be £60 million, it will probably have to be more.”
How much money Nottingham Forest wanted for Morgan Gibbs-White before the transfer window opened
Nottingham Forest had a phenomenal 2024/25 season, and Gibbs-White was arguably their best player.
The Englishman directly contributed to 17 goals in the Premier League last term, and his performances caught the eye of several big clubs.
Seeing that, Forest slapped a £100 million price-tag on Gibbs-White, TBR Football exclusively revealed in April this year.
At the time, nobody outside the club was aware that Gibbs-White had a £60 million release clause in his contract.