Tottenham are looking to raid a Premier League rival to address their creativity issue.
It has been a nightmare 12 months for Tottenham Hotspur. They’ve gone from ending their trophy drought and qualifying for the Champions League to losing Son Heung-min, missing out on European football altogether, and narrowly beating the drop.
Under the leadership of head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who guided the club to safety on the final day of the past season, the Lilywhites look likely to be one of the busier clubs in the summer transfer window. The 46-year-old will expect financial backing from the owners, the Lewis Family, to strengthen a squad that requires some “first-level players”.
In a statement earlier this week, the Lewis Family pledged to back De Zerbi fully to ensure he can turn things around. So far, the North London club have reached verbal agreements to sign Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers from Liverpool and Bournemouth, respectively, in June.
Tottenham rekindle their interest in Nottingham Forest star
Next on the agenda appears to be addressing the team’s creativity problem. The long-term injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski played a big role in Spurs’ inability to unlock rigid defences. Keeping that in mind, Tottenham would do well to bring in creative players to improve the quality of their attacking department.
Now, according to the Independent (h/t GIVEMESPORT), Tottenham have revived their interest in Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White.
Spurs tried to sign Morgan Gibbs-White last summer and believed they had activated his £60million release clause to complete a deal. However, Nottingham Forest blocked the move and threatened legal action against the North Londoners. The Tricky Trees were adamant that they had not been permitted to speak to their player. The 26-year-old went on to sign a new three-year contract a few weeks later, ending the saga.
After 10 months, the report adds that Tottenham are planning to approach Nottingham Forest again for Gibbs-White, who could be available for a similar £60million fee this summer.
Morgan Gibbs-White would take De Zerbi’s Tottenham to another level
Spurs were hurt to not land Gibbs-White last summer. What’s done is in the past now, and the N17 bosses are planning to make a fresh approach.
The Nottingham Forest Player of the Year, Gibbs-White, was extremely unfortunate to miss out on a place in the England squad for the upcoming World Cup. Indeed, despite a strong campaign that yielded 18 goals and seven assists in all competitions, he was surprisingly overlooked by England boss Thomas Tuchel. However, the creative midfielder’s performances haven’t gone unnoticed within the N17 offices.
In Gibbs-White, Tottenham would get a creative talent capable of making an immediate impact and elevating De Zerbi’s starting XI. The England international is also a proven Premier League commodity and about to enter the peak years of his career, whilst his versatility to operate out wide cannot be ignored. The Stafford-born star would align well with De Zerbi’s system and tactical plan, and at 26, he has the tools to become James Maddison’s potential long-term replacement.
Hopefully, Tottenham manage to wrap up a deal for Gibbs-White this time around.