Hotspur HQ

Tottenham supporters are continuing to lose their minds over Morgan Gibbs-White, and we should receive clear indication on Monday whether the saga will be resolved anytime soon.

The Englishman looked poised to join the Lilywhites after we triggered a £60m release clause that, supposedly, nobody was meant to know about. Nottingham Forest quickly kicked up a fuss, and their complaints of an "illegal approach" has threatened the deal.

The unexpected nature of our Gibbs-White pursuit thrust excitement levels through the roof among supporters, and it would be cruel if the England international isn't donning that sleek all-black strip on Champions League nights next season.

As it stands, Spurs continue to hold out hope.

Why Monday is a crucial day in Tottenham's pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White

All has been pretty normal in Gibbs-White's world since Forest's complaint, with the midfielder reporting for pre-season training last week. He then started Saturday's friendly against Monaco, an update that sparked a mini breakdown among the online fanbase.

The Athletic understands that the attacking midfielder is expected to be named in Nuno Espirito Santo's travelling squad for Forest's summer tour to Portugal, with the Midlands outfit flying out on Monday. That would continue to delay Gibbs-White's departure, although it wouldn't bring about a definitive end to the saga.

It seems like plenty is going on behind the scenes that almost none of us know about. There's been talk of Spurs potentially offering more money in order to get the deal over the line, but also of Forest offering Gibbs-White to other clubs. It currently doesn't look like the England international will be extending his contract at the City Ground, and Forest would risk potentially losing him for a discounted price if they fail to oversee his exit this summer.

"He's keeping it professional," the charismatic Ola Aina said after Saturday's stalemate with Monaco, insisting, like all of us, that he "doesn't know what's going on."

In an ideal world, Gibbs-White is left out of Forest's travelling squad and Spurs reach a compromise with Forest this week, allowing the Englishman to grow familiar with Frank and his squad well in time for the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain in August. However, it currently doesn't look like this saga will reach a climax anytime soon.

Having tuned into our opening friendly against Reading, I can't help but feel that Gibbs-White would be absolutely perfect for the role young Alfie Devine performed in the first half at the Madejski.

Tottenham Hotspur fans thought they were getting Morgan Gibbs-White about a week ago, but Nottingham Forest have thrown a tantrum, even threatening legal action against Spurs. Although most serious journalists do not take Forest's threats seriously and believe that MGW will eventually make his way to Spurs, enough time has passed without any word of a transfer happening that Spurs fans have to be a bit concerned.

Gibbs-White is still making appearances for Nottingham Forest in friendly matches, which has increased Tottenham supporters' fears that Daniel Levy and Co. may blow this deal because of a lack of urgency, Forest's own petulance, and a Premier League governing body that simply doesn't care about fairness; Tottenham paid a release clause for a player who wanted to join them, after all.

Now, a new report from veteran journalist Neil Goulding for Sports Boom sheds more glim details on the transfer. Tottenham are at risk of getting their deal for Gibbs-White hijacked by an ambitious Manchester City, who have reportedly been eyeing the 25-year-old No. 10 as their own signing.

Hearkening to earlier reporting of a potential swap deal between Forest and Man City, Goulding and Sports Boom report that Manchester City are ready to enter the transfer battle for Gibbs-White formally with the proposed swap deal involving Gibbs-White and young City talent James McAtee being very much on the table.

Tottenham could lose two targets in one

These transfer rumors involving Man City, McAtee, and MGW come from sources a tier below the likes of Fabrizio Romano and the most reliable journalists in English football, so they must be taken with a grain of salt.

But it's still troubling that there are now multiple reports making this claim, in conjunction with the obvious reality that a transfer has not been completed between Tottenham and Nottingham Forest for Gibbs-White to this point.

Man City and Forest are probably the two clubs in the Premier League with the worst reputations from a sportsmanship vantage point, so it would not be entirely surprising for them to pull a stunt like this that leaves both of them with the players they want and Tottenham holding the bag.

Worse yet, if Gibbs-White weren't to join Spurs in a vacuum, you'd think that McAtee would be one of the first targets they'd look at in the attacking midfield as an understudy for long-time Premier League star James Maddison, so Spurs fans won't like the sound of this report at all, even if it's a little hard to believe at face value. The most likely outcome remains Gibbs-White going to Tottenham, but there's enough to give even the most optimistic Lilywhite supporter pause.

The longer Tottenham Hotspur wait to address the biggest need in their squad before the 2025/26 Premier League and Champions League season starts, the more likely they are to sign someone sub-standard or overpriced...or simply nobody at all.

Tottenham have ostensibly brought in a duo of established Premier League attacking stars with the upside to become superstars, as Mohammed Kudus has already been sealed and No. 10 Morgan Gibbs-White should be forthcoming as shiny new toys for incoming manager Thomas Frank to work with.

But Frank knows as well as all the Spurs supporters that no matter who the team signs up front, they cannot have a prayer of success at the top-five level of the Premier League - let alone in the Champions League - without a sturdy base to build upon.

Ideally, Tottenham would make a double-swoop in the midfield, signing an expensive and ambitious star to lead the way as a No. 6, such as Adam Wharton, as well as a more undervalued defensive midfielder who can work with the likes of veteran Rodrigo Bentancur and young gun Archie Gray as part of a rotation.

Tottenham lose another quality depth option

Yet another quality option has fallen off the table for Tottenham this summer, as Fabrizio Romano gave his fabled "Here We Go" to Leeds United, as the returning Premier League side managed to snag underrated Bundesliga standout Anton Stach from Hoffenheim for a meager circa 20 million euros.

Stach has been one of the Bundesliga's best 6's over the past couple of seasons for Mainz and Hoffenheim, drawing looks from bigger clubs in Germany like Borussia Dortmund. A starter for Spurs? Probably not, but he showed that he has the physical tools, tactical awareness, and overall skill-set to be a rotational option - and he's undoubtedly better than the vacuous black hole of players Spurs have behind the main options.

If players like Stach are getting into Premier League teams and coming off the market at reasonable fees, others like Richard Rios will soon be flying off the shelf, leaving the cupboard of options relatively barren for Tottenham. Defensive midfielders are in scarce supply, and the very best options that Spurs supporters are dreaming of, like Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, probably aren't going to be available at all this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur have already nabbed two important attacking signings this summer between West Ham right winger Mohammed Kudus and the somewhat forgotten Mathys Tel, who counts as a new transfer as a permanent acquisition from Bayern Munich after an intriguing six-month loan spell to cap off the 2024/25 Europa League title-winning campaign.

Spurs, of course, aren't done there yet, as Morgan Gibbs-White should be forthcoming from Nottingham Forest as only a slightly more expensive deal than Kudus at 60 million pounds, per an evidently controversial release clause.

But if Tottenham really want to build a deep and formidable attacking front that can compete with London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea in the top five of the Premier League and in their return to the Champions League next season, then Daniel Levy should buck his own arbitrary conventions with one more bold trick up his sleeve.

Former Everton man Ademola Lookman has completely reinvented himself from his doomed days at Goodison Park, becoming arguably the best forward in Italian football across the last three seasons, registering 15 goals and 5 assists in his finest goal-scoring season to date in 2024/25 for brief title contenders Atalanta.

Tottenham can play by an easier set of rules

According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, while it initially appeared that Atalanta were asking for just 40 million euros in order to sell Lookman, who wants a new challenge outside Bergamo, the Goddesses of northern Italy now "insist" that Lookman's top suitors, perennial Serie A title contenders Inter Milan, pay a full 50 million euros for the Nigerian superstar. Fab says Atalant will not give a "green light" to any Italian club that pays 40 million euros for Lookman.

That implies Atalanta are more worried about losing Lookman to a direct title rival than anything else, which opens up the door that they are willing to take less money than the full 50 million euros in order to sell Lookman abroad and avoid the versatile 27-year-old forward going to another Italian club.

So Atalanta insisting on more money from Inter is great news for Tottenham. It means that if Spurs were to step up their interest in Lookman and make a legitimate approach, they could be immediate favorites to land yet another Serie A star to their ranks, since they will get to play by a different, more lax set of rules than their fellow Champions League competitors.

Lookman wants out and Atalanta are expected to help him leave, and if they don't want it to come at their own direct cost in Serie A, Tottenham can be there to sign the top-class forward at a relative bargain rate. Maybe Levy, as with Kudus and Tel, could negotiate an even lower fee than 40 million euros for Dominic Solanke's next striker competitor.

Tottenham Hotspur are fresh off winning their first Europa League title in 41 years, and while any Spurs supporter of some seasoning will remain skeptical, it appears Daniel Levy and Co. are trying to build a strong young nucleus for incoming manager Thomas Frank that will be able to build on what is hopefully just an initial taste of greater success to come.

Spurs have missed out on reaching that next level as an organization for far too long, and they are closing in on securing a trio of Europe's more intriguing young players in Mathys Tel, Mohammed Kudus, and now Morgan Gibbs-White.

But behind this exciting, Frank-led attack, a more stable base needs to come into focus in the midfield. Once Spurs secure Gibbs-White - and even while they are in the process of doing so - they have to turn their attention to bringing in a new No. 6. They may even need two center midfield profiles to truly compete at the Champions League levle.

Tottenham are focused on young, rising Premier League ballers

The young Adam Wharton is the dream pick, but the Crystal Palace man could be prohibitively expensive. Another option has emerged and follows in the suit of Kudus, Gibbs-White, Wharton, and the other confirmed or rumored Spurs signings of 2025; he is a young and exciting option who is an established Premier League starter.

According to Give Me Sport journalist Ben Jacobs in an appearance on the Last Word on Spurs show, Tottenham have begun to show legitimate interest in Wolves defensive midfielder Joao Gomes, who has been loosely linked with a number of top Premier League clubs, including Tottenham's summer transfer rivals and Europa League Final opponents, Manchester United.

Gomes is still years away from his prime as a defensive midfielder at 24 but is already one of the better defensive specialists in the Premier League. The Brazilian international bagged three goals last season with 1.3 fouls drawn per game with a whopping 3.2 tackles per game in the Premier League, one year after averaging a robust 3.5 tackles per match in four starts at Copa America as one of the few bright spots for a Brazil national team that flopped on the big stage again.

One of the stars of Wolves last season, Gomes could be a great signing in conjunction with a profile like Wharton who can playmake and control games from deep. Gomes is a box-to-box destroyer and the kind of high-impact ball-winner Spurs need, especially if they are intent on replacing a significantly lesser player in Yves Bissouma.

Tottenham Hotspur have managed to land two of the most promising attacking coups of the summer 2025 transfer window in West Ham right winger Mohammed Kudus and Bayern Munich left winger Mathys Tel, who spent the second half of the 2024/25 season playing for Spurs and winning the Europa League title in the process.

Both Kudus and Tel, as well as the forthcoming Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest, should give Tottenham a significant boost to an attack that was not quite to the standard of the other big six clubs in England last season.

Despite the positivity, Tottenham should be taken to task for fumbling the signing of one of the marquee forwards in the Premier League right now and arguably the biggest individual breakout star of the 2024/25 season, Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo.

Tottenham could have made a bigger effort

Tottenham, in theory, had a significant advantage over Manchester United in the race for Mbeumo after hiring Brentford coach Thomas Frank, but they never truly took advantage of that wild card, showing only minimal interest in Mbeumo. Manchester United pursued Mbeumo for months and yet still haven't officially signed him, and while that should have given Spurs an opening to swoop in and try harder to sign the 20-goal right winger, they have instead rested on their laurels.

Now, it seems like taking advantage of Man United's hesitancy to get this deal done won't matter soon. That's because Fabrizio Romano is reporting that not only are Manchester United still "confident" in securing the Mbeumo signing, but he also confirms that, as The Athletic's David Ornstein reported, Man United have bumped up their transfer package to 70 million pounds with add-ons and are continuing talks with Brentford for Mbeumo.

It's yet another transfer blow for any Tottenham fans holding out hope for Mbeumo's arrival, and while some will point to Kudus's signing alongside Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski as Spurs having three quality left-footed right wingers now, the more grounded fans will note that none of those players have Mbeumo's goals or assist record in the Premier League - let alone both.

Although Tottenham Hotspur are no longer at any risk of losing star center back Cristian Romero this summer with Atletico Madrid all but pulling out of the transfer race after seeing their lowball offers rebuffed by Spurs, that doesn't mean Spurs should stop showing interest in promising young center backs.

It's a position where depth has been more coveted by the elite teams in European football, and Real Madrid are a great recent example of how having poor center back depth can derail even the most talented of squads.

Tottenham have two of the best center backs in the world as a pairing between Micky van de Ven and Romero, who showed the full gamut of their skills as a partnership in a clean sheet win over Manchester United in the Europa League Final. Behind them, Kevin Danso is waiting for his breakout moment in the Premier League after being an elite Ligue 1 central defender, and former Serie A star Radu Dragusin could still be a factor.

Tottenham love to look at Serie A defenders

But Tottenham aren't done with looking at potential starting-caliber center backs to spell either Romero or Van de Ven if the dreaded injury bug were to start again, and their search has mostly focused on Serie A candidates, including Jhon Lucumi and Koni De Winter in the past.

Now, though, Tottenham are being linked to a much more exciting name out of Italy in Atalanta star Giorgio Scalvini, who has gone forgotten by many after a cruciate ligament tear and a severe shoulder injury in back-to-back seasons. Per journalist Ben Jacobs of Give Me Sport in an appearance on the Last Word on Spurs YouTube show, Tottenham have discussed the possibility of signing Scalvini.

It's early in the stage of the Scalvini to Tottenham transfer rumor, but this is a move that Spurs should indeed consider approaching. Atalanta don't sell players on the cheap, but they are reasonable in their asking prices. Scalvini has little interest around Europe compared to his talent and pedigree as a top young Serie A center back, so this could be a chance for Spurs to take a flier and buy low before the Italian international bounces back.

Just 21 years old despite averaging more interceptions per game than tackles per game in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons as an established star in the league, Scalvini has the traits Tottenham look for in center backs - he is athletic, comfortable on and off the ball, and already elite at reading the game.

There's no question that Morgan Gibbs-White should be a Tottenham Hotspur player by now. He had a 60 million pound release clause. He wanted to join Tottenham. Spurs paid the clause. End of discussion. And yet legal threats and an embarrassing circus has ensued, with an incensed Forest desperately trying to delay the inevitable transfer of the talented 25-year-old to N17.

It's only a matter of time before Gibbs-White joins Tottenham, but, unfortunately, instead of waiting for the most logical conclusion to proceed, it appears Spurs may be caving to the pressure and doing exactly what Forest intended by starting this ridiculous saga in the first place.

According to a report from the Daily Mail's Tom Collomosse, Tottenham are now considering submitting a second bid to Nottingham Forest in order to secure the signing of Morgan Gibbs-White and convince their potential top-five Premier League rivals to sell. They are reportedly thinking about bidding an extra five million pounds over the release clause to bring the sum for the attacking midfielder to a cool 65 million pounds, which is 10 more million than what Spurs paid to West Ham for winger Mohammed Kudus.

Tottenham will get Morgan Gibbs-White no matter what

Gibbs-White, per Collomosse, would like to have his future settled by next Monday and is, to nobody's surprise, still interested in joining Spurs. So, perhaps, Spurs submitting more money to Forest is less about rewarding a Premier League rival's foolish antics, but, rather, more about appeasing Gibbs-White and, in unusal fashion, putting a tiny bit of money where their mouth is to make Gibbs-White feel like he is valued highly by his incoming club.

The most likely and most logical outcome here is for Tottenham to stand pat and wait for the Premier League and other governing and legal bodies to step in and let this deal go through. But if Spurs have any inkling of doubts, they may see five million pounds extra as an insurance policy to end this headache so they don't lose any ground on even more important targets like a shiny new No. 6. And Forest seem like the kind of club that are desperate enough to take the money and run, which may have been their intention all along.

It's unfortunate that we are in this situation in the first place, where a club can effectively throw a temper tantrum over a release clause they agreed to themselves and then did their best to hide. It's not fair to Gibbs-White at all, and now that Forest have been found out, they want to cry foul.

Tottenham Hotspur have done a strong job of fortifying their attack this summer transfer window in order to improve from a ghastly 17th-placed finish in the Premier League last season. In addition to securing the entirely obvious permanent signing of high-upside left winger Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich, they inked Mohammed Kudus from West Ham in a 55 million pound deal and are closing in on officially securing Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest for about 60 million pounds.

Next up for Tottenham is rebuilding the rest of the squad, and their biggest weakness last season wasn't actually the attack. While they did certainly have room to improve up front, Spurs had a porous midfield that struggled to defend in transitions or control the ball - and not all of those struggles can be pinned on Ange Postecoglou's style of play tactically.

Tottenham need multiple holding midfielders with mixed profiles who can defend, keep possession, progress play, get into the mix physically, and, generally, stabilize a team that was too often left chasing its own tail, especially against much stronger and well-organized opponents like Liverpool.

If Spurs want to sign two players, they need to bag an underrated option in addition to a marquee candidate like, say, Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, who appears to be both the fans' and Thomas Frank's preferred signing.

Tottenham could sign a big back-to-back summer breakout star

Palmeiras star Richard Rios was a breakout player at this year's Club World Cup - even above Chelsea-bound teammate Estevao Willian on the wing - just as he was in 2024 at Copa America for Colombia.

Linked to a host of other clubs around Europe, Rios was apparently close to going to Roma, but it appears the Giallorossi have pulled out of the race out of frustration. According to a report from top Italian transfer insider Gianluca Di Marzio, Roma became so "annoyed" with Palmeiras rejecting their transfer offers and sending counter proposals that they actually accelerated their interest in an alternative midfield target, agreeing to terms on a 25 million euro transfer with Lens star Neil El Aynaoui.

This move doesn't 100 percent rule Roma out of a Rios transfer, but it makes it so unlikely at this point that it effectively clears the path for Tottenham to swoop in. And, ironically enough, Spurs could sign him for cheaper than the 30 million euros Palmeiras insisted from Roma, in part because there will be one less major competitor with Roma out of the picture but also because Roma's rejection could force Palemiras to readjust their asking price.

As it stands, a price below 30 million euros would already be a great deal for a Tottenham side used to spending double on transfer markets this summer. Rios is too unproven in Europe to be worth too much more, but since he has stood out at international competitions with world-class players on other teams, Rios has proven he has the tactical and athletic traits to succeed as a 25-year-old defensive midfielder in the Premier League. He's one to watch.

Everton are one of several Premier League clubs interested in signing Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz this summer, but the Brazilian reportedly wants to play for Tottenham.

Luiz clearly has his head screwed on.

Spurs' need for a holding midfielder is distinct, and while Luiz's best work in an Aston Villa shirt arrived in a freer role in the middle of the park, the Juventus wantaway has been suggested to be a potential option for the Lilywhites this summer.

Luiz is expected to leave Turin after one forgettable year in Italy, with a return to England his most likely destination. Everton are said to be locked in talks with the Brazilian, but Calciomercato reports that several clubs are keeping track of Luiz's situation.

Reports suggest Douglas Luiz wants to play for Tottenham

Spurs' summer has suddenly stalled after Nottingham Forest made a complaint over our supposed "illegal approach" for Morgan Gibbs-White. There's been little movement on the transfer front since we triggered the Englishman's not-so-secret release clause.

There's still hope that the situation will be resolved and Gibbs-White ends up a Tottenham player, but we surely can't halt our summer over Evangelos Marinakis' hissy fit. We must soon move on.

Thomas Frank is keen to add a star holding midfielder to his ranks, with £100m-rated Adam Wharton the dream addition. Luiz has emerged as a more realistic option, although Everton have made their move to sign the Brazilian on an initial loan with an obligation to buy. Juventus, however, want a permanent sale and would be willing to offload the former Villa star for no more than €25m.

Thus, if Frank and Spurs like Luiz, now's the time to act. TBR Football understands that the Brazilian would "love" to play for Tottenham, with Champions League football returning to N17.

Our midfield is currently stacked with similar-ish profiles—energetic operators who are better suited to box-to-box roles. We require a more disciplined performer, a midfielder capable of contributuing heavily to the build-up phase while providing security at defensive transitions. A passer/destroyer combination is the ideal.