Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Arsenal take on Tottenham in a pre-season friendly at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong.
There has been a great swell of anticipation about Luka Vuskovic’s arrival at Tottenham despite his tender years.
The Croatian teenager was signed for £12million in 2023 when only just 16, and having played an integral role for Hajduk Split’s Under-19s on their run to the final of the UEFA Youth League.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy moved quickly and stealthily to secure Vuskovic, beating competition from illustrious rivals including Manchester City, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.
After six months on loan in Poland with Radomiak Radom and last season on loan in Belgium with Westerlo, where he scored seven goals from centre back - the pick of them an overhead-kick which was named goal of the season in the Belgian top flight - he has finally arrived in north London and is shaping up as quite a transfer coup.
At 18, his performances in training have been strong and in his first outing in Spurs colours he made a fine impression, with a goal and an assist within eight minutes of his introduction as a half-time substitute in a pre-season friendly against Reading a fortnight ago.
Those who have seen him breeze through the youth ranks for club and country – he won his first senior cap in June against the Czech Republic - were not surprised. All the usual caveats about young players and the perils of development apply, but Tottenham’s new boss Thomas Frank has a big decision brewing.
If Frank does not envisage Vuskovic featuring regularly in the first team – and there are a cluster of centre backs ahead of him in the pecking order, such as Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin – there are Bundesliga clubs lining up to take him on loan.
It would be a shame if his incredible progress were to stall because he spends a season on the sidelines.
Vuskovic has always been mature beyond his years. Tall at 6ft 4in and strong, he is the epitome of a modern central defender, comfortable with either foot, mobile, strong in the air, with a determination to go forward and, his rarest gift, an eye for goal.
'Luka had a great impact here,' Westerlo’s sporting director Francesco Carratta tells Mail Sport. 'At 17, he came in like a player I’ve rarely seen - the professionalism he showed, constantly working, respecting the team, high on discipline, always wanting to improve.
'He is a beast. Literally, first in and last out. He would come in on free days to work in the gym. He would come on Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, in the gym working out.
'Our facility is only for the first team but on occasions we give the gym to the second team and they met him in there and they all look up to him. He is a guy with great personality, so friendly and approachable. I can only speak highly of him as a person and a professional.
'He doesn’t cheat, that’s the thing. You have many talented players who try to cut a corner, but he doesn’t cheat himself or the team, he puts in the effort so that’s something I respect and appreciate.'
On the pitch at Westerlo, Vuskovic was no less eye-catching and he proved an instant hit with supporters as the club narrowly missed out on a European play-off .
'He is a natural talent,' says Carratta. 'Physically very gifted, big, strong and unbelievably good on the ball. This gives him the quality to score goals, it is easy for him. He feels where to be and he has the quality to find the net. This is a quality, not something you can teach.'
Vuskovic hails from a footballing family. His father Danijel and grandfather Mario played professionally. His brother, also Mario, aged 23, was at Hamburg when hit with a four-year doping ban after testing positive for EPO. He cannot play until next year and his contract was terminated, but Hamburg promised to take him back when the ban ends.
Croatia’s Under-19s boss Marijan Budimir played alongside Danijel and coached Luka through the youth ranks of Hajduk Split.
'His father and I grew up together,' Budimir, 44, tells Mail Sport. 'We played in Hajduk Split from the Under-14s to the first team, the two centre backs or two in the back three. Danijel was a very good player, but Luka and Mario are better. Football was not always the most important thing for their father.' Laughing, he adds: 'He was young.'
Luka has suffered no such distractions, laser-focused, making accelerated progress, always playing in older age categories. Budimir says: 'When he was 13, he was playing with the Under-15s and when he was 15 he was playing with the Under-19s, so it has always been clear he has a big talent.
'His father was a big talent and his brother is a big talent, so from a young age people saw Luka and thought he could be a big prospect.'
Hajduk Split swept past Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan before losing to AZ Alkmaar in the final of the UEFA Youth League, an Under-19s Champions League, in 2023, so the secret was out about the 16-year-old in central defence.
'Luka, born in 2007, played in that team with guys who were three years older,' says Budimir. 'Everybody noticed, not only Spurs. Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, everybody wanted him.
'Technically he is very good, with both feet. He is not typical of the centre backs from 20 years ago. He is a modern centre back who can create. The coaches who want to play will love him. He is very calm with the ball. In front of 100 people or 80,000 people he will play the same. For him to be at Spurs at such a young age is good. He has a good mentality, so he will improve quickly in England.
'When the coach sees him he will love him because his technique is very good. But we will see now how he manages with the big stars. Spurs will find the best solution for him, if that is to play immediately or go somewhere else because for younger players the most important thing is to play.'
Tottenham has been a happy home for Croatian players in the past. Luka Modric, Niko Kranjcar, Ivan Perisic and Vedran Corluka all enjoyed varying successes in N17.
'I hope Luka will have a career as good as the other Luka,' smiles Budimir, who puts Vuskovic's goal knack down to instinct, on top of all his other qualities. 'If you have good delivery, he will find the ball. He has a sense of where the ball will come, an instinct.
'Twice, for the Under-19s and Under-17s at Hajduk Split, I saw him score from inside the centre circle. He saw the goalkeeper a little out of his goal and scored from the centre. I asked him how he saw the chance, and he said to me, "I always look".'
Carratta was in the stadium when Vuskovic unleashed his overhead-kick on Boxing Day in a 4-3 defeat at Club Brugge. Alfie Devine, also on loan at Westerlo from Spurs, found the net in the game too.
Tottenham charted their progress with care, loans chief Andy Scoulding checking in on a weekly basis with Carratta and staff at the Belgian club issuing monthly physical, medical and technical bulletins on both players.
Vuskovic was invited to the Pro League’s end of season awards dinner to collect the goal of the season prize. The dress code did not appear to have an impact on him.
'You had to wear a suit and tie,' recalls Carratta. 'But Luka is only busy with football, he doesn’t care about fashion or the glitz and glamour, so everybody went in a suit and tie, and he went in his street clothes. It just shows how down to earth he is.'
There is a bright future ahead. Croatia are excited about the idea of Vuskovic maturing into a natural central defensive partner for Josko Gvardiol, but he is still young and developing.
'You have to be humble and cannot compare the level of the Belgian league to the Premier League,' says Carratta. 'To say it will be easy for him is not right. I am convinced he can have an impact, but he needs to be given time.
'You cannot expect an 18-year-old boy to dominate in the Premier League because he dominated in Belgium. That’s not fair to him either, but if Spurs are patient he can become a good player.'
Thomas Frank has revealed how he plans to build on Ange Postecoglou's legacy at Tottenham - and hinted at a major role for Son Heung-min next season.
Frank made an upbeat appearance on the Men in Blazers YouTube channel and gave supporters an early taster of what he hopes to achieve after taking the job.
The 51-year-old, who spent seven years in charge of Brentford, quickly emerged as Spurs' No 1 candidate to replace Postecoglou after he was sacked despite leading his side to Europa League glory last season - a first major trophy in 17 years.
Keen to hit the ground running, Frank splashed out £55million to sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham. He then presided over a 2-0 victory over Reading in pre-season, before bore draws with League One outfits Wycombe and Luton.
The Dane has also already identified exactly how he will use Postecoglou's eye-catching work over his two campaigns in North London as a foundation.
'First and foremost, I think it's important to say that, Ange and his staff achieved massively by winning the Europa League title,' Frank told Men in Blazers. 'Fantastic.
'First time in 41 years, a European title. I love that. I thought it was a lot of good things that I can use and I can, you know, stand on that foundation and then build from there.
'What I like to add is probably a bit more balance in my view.
'Attacking, defending. and then, of course, I think if you want to achieve something big, we need to be be good in all phases of the game.'
One player set to prove influential under Frank is captain Son, despite him attracting interest from MLS. Mail Sport reported last week that the 33-year-old is wanted by Los Angeles FC, and Spurs would not stand in his way should he choose to leave.
There has been no formal bid tabled but contact has been made.
LAFC are reported to be preparing a deal in the region of £15-20million, which could be enough to tempt Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy into talks.
Son is also in the final year of his contract in Spurs and after scoring 173 goals in his 454 games to date, his status as an undisputed Spurs great is guaranteed.
But Frank showed no indications that Son is on his way out, and revealed he is 'excited' about the role the forward would have next season.
'I think first and foremost, Son's legacy here is remarkable,' Frank added. 'He's been a fantastic player for Tottenham, he is a fantastic player for Tottenham.
'I see a player that that can play a very good role here next season. He's come in, very good mindset, trained very hard, pushed the players. So I'm excited about it.'
Son has been a commercial phenomenon, too, and there is no prospect of him leaving before the pre-season tour to Asia, which features games against Arsenal in Hong Kong on Thursday and Newcastle in Seoul three days later.
Spurs' fee for the games would be slashed without Son, the biggest draw in Asian football. Equally, Son does not want to miss another chance to represent the club in South Korea or let down his millions of supporters in his homeland.
Morgan Gibbs-White has performed a dramatic U-turn on his Nottingham Forest future - with the England midfielder signing a new deal at the City Ground.
The playmaker was the subject of a £60million bid from Tottenham earlier this month, after the north London club thought they had activated the release clause in his contract.
But the move was halted dramatically when Forest threatened to report Spurs to the Premier League for an alleged 'illegal' approach.
Now, Gibbs-White has put an end to the speculation over his future and has penned a new deal with Forest until the summer of 2028.
Mail Sport learned in January that Gibbs-White was resisting Forest's attempts to offer him a new deal that would at least have doubled his previous £60,000-a-week salary.
He was keen on joining Tottenham until now, after being offered a 'record deal' by Forest, described as a 'statement of intent' from owner Evangelos Marinakis in a club statement on X.
Gibbs-White joined Forest in 2022 from Wolves for a club record transfer fee of £25m, with another £17m in potential add-ons.
He has since made 118 appearances, scoring 18 goals and providing 28 assists in all competitions.
Last season, Gibbs-White netted seven times and provided 10 assists as Forest marched to a strong seventh-place finish, securing a spot in the Europa Conference League.
Crystal Palace qualified for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup last term, only to be excluded from it for an alleged breach of UEFA regulations relating to multi-club ownership.
Were the decision to be upheld, Forest would take their place in the Europa League, with Palace dropping into the Conference League.
Gibbs-White recently linked up with his Forest team-mates in Portugal after missing the start of their pre-season training camp due to personal reasons.
Gibbs-White's partner, Britney De Villiers, posted to social media last Sunday to share that she was having complications with her pregnancy.
She describe how she struggled with a 'high risk pregnancy' from a hospital bed. The couple have a young son together.
It is understood throughout the transfer saga, the midfielder showed an exemplary attitude, which continued when he returned for duty on July 14.
Gibbs-White played the first half of Forest’s pre-season friendly at Chesterfield on July 19 and was given a warm reception by supporters. He responded with his own gesture of gratitude.
Forest have already lost one key attacking player this summer after Anthony Elanga was sold to Newcastle for £55m.
The club still hope Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is out of contract in the summer, will sign a new deal, while Forest are interested in Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey, Manchester City's James McAtee and Swiss attacker Dan Ndoye, who plays for Italian club Bologna.
On Easter Monday came a glimpse for Tottenham into something they haven't had for a decade: a future without Son Heung-min.
Nottingham Forest were visiting and Spurs had by this stage of the campaign surrendered hope in all but the Europa League, but there was another reason for an unusual number of empty seats and it was not lost on those in the boardroom.
Son was ruled out, his absence confirmed more than 48 hours previously by then-head coach Ange Postecoglou. This was the first home match he missed during a month out with a foot injury.
Out with him went hundreds of the South Korean fans who have become such an intrinsic part of the matchday experience in N17 over recent years, perhaps the most vivid illustration of the Premier League’s global appeal.
An estimated 5,000 Koreans attend Spurs home games to see their favourite player pull on the shirt of their favourite football team and compete in their favourite competition.
Many, especially those jetting into London on tourist packages, are committed spenders in the club megastore and remain digitally engaged when they leave.
For the Bank Holiday fixture against Forest, however, they were conspicuous by their absence and the official attendance was recorded at 59,314, the only time it dipped under 60,000 in the Premier League last season.
Still a decent crowd in the circumstances, and yet here was a reminder. No Son, no K-Factor. Korean fandom, though passionate in the extreme, is firmly aligned to the individual player and not the club.
Much of the annual Son-related income - estimated by industry experts to be in the region of £40-60million a season - is in the balance when he leaves and after 10 years of service, 173 goals in 454 games and that glorious Europa League triumph in May, that moment may soon be upon us.
Son is 33. His form last season was disappointing. Injuries niggled away. His contract expires next year and there appeared no interest from the player’s camp to sign an extended deal during talks last season.
Chairman Daniel Levy, averse to letting players leave on out-of-contract frees ever since Sol Campbell walked down the Seven Sisters Road to Arsenal in 2001, will consider offers for his captain before the transfer deadline, with serious interest shaping up from Los Angeles FC.
First though, Tottenham embark on another money-spinning tour of Asia where they have friendlies in Hong Kong and South Korea.
Spurs are unusual in that they have forsaken the USA, where they have not played since 2018, in favour of Asia and a strategy built around the twin pillars of Son and a 12-year partnership with shirt sponsors AIA, an Asia-only life insurance company.
Two years with Postecoglou in charge gave an Australian element to the Pacific reach but South Korea has been the main attraction with Son, a genuine megastar in the social media age.
The Coupang Series friendly against Newcastle on August 3 in Seoul will be Tottenham’s third visit to the country in four years and the fixtures are much more lucrative if Son plays - so there was never any prospect of selling him before the tour.
He gives them extraordinary added value. Without Son the match fee would be slashed, a standard contractual clause for all Premier League clubs and their big stars when negotiating preseason tours and exhibition games, but critical to the fee Spurs can command in Asia.
AIA research claims that about 12million South Koreans cite Spurs as their favourite football team. That’s one in four. This is clear on match day at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where they sell up to a thousand official ‘Son 7’ shirts at a rate that outsold Harry Kane’s ‘Kane 10’ shirts by five-to-one before the homegrown hero and England captain left for Bayern Munich.
Every day there are Korean fans at the gates of the training ground with gifts for Son and requests for signatures and selfies. More online merchandise is shipped to South Korea than any country outside the UK, helped by a special rate on postage.
Tottenham’s friendlies in Seoul and Suwon in 2022, when Son had just won the Premier League Golden Boot, were preceded by 4,800 official shirts sold direct to South Korea inside six weeks.
More than 100,000 attended the two games, and online queues meant that the tickets were effectively sold out before they went on sale. The game in Seoul against the K-League All Stars was streamed by more than two million live on Coupang's streaming service.
Besides touring income and matchday income, Son is a powerful force behind Tottenham’s licensing income in Asia. As of 2024, Spurs had 15 official licensees in South Korea alone, producing and marketing all manner of club-branded everyday items ranging from bottled water to buns and biscuits to stickers and framed art.
South Korea is a western-facing consumer society that has an affluent middle-class with disposable income. National identity is strong and extends through its diaspora, as you might expect from a nation that has been on a war footing for 75 years.
Son himself conducted three months of military service in 2020, being exempted from the full mandatory 21-month programme due to being part of the South Korea national team that claimed victory in the 2018 Asian Games.
Footballers rank among Korea's key ambassadors with standards of behaviour and respect as important as their football achievements. The player matters most not the club they represent.
They adore Son and he appreciates their following, which is why as well as the contractual obligations, he did not want to miss out on what could be this final tour in the colours of the club he is synonymous with.
Ninety-two per cent of Korean Spurs fans identify as Son fans, according to Neil Joyce, co-founder of CLV Group, a leading data and insights company for sports and entertainment.
'The upside is that eight per cent of Korean fans are Spurs fans first but there’s likely to be a huge drop off in fandom if and when Son departs,' says Joyce. 'It will be difficult but not impossible to maintain some level of following.'
Park Ji-sung spent seven years at Manchester United from 2005, winning the Premier League title four times and drawing Korean support to Old Trafford. But even United’s immense global popularity could stop many of them drifting away, before realigning with Spurs when Son arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and grew in stature.
'Manchester United is a special case,' explains Lee, a South Korean journalist and author. 'At that point, they had Sir Alex Ferguson, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and many superstars of football world.
'They had their Korean fans even before and they have stayed loyal but, most of those watching because of Park lost interest after he left. Spurs will have a similar situation, I believe. There were Korean Spurs fans before Son. They had Lee Young-pyo, another Korean legend and stars like Gareth Bale, Dimitar Berbatov and Luka Modric and a reputation for attractive football and this hardcore won’t change.
'However, the wider portion of general Korean football fans will lose interest once Son leaves Spurs. It’s not about Son and Spurs, it’s because they are more interested in Korean players than their European clubs.'
A move to Saudi Arabia would have offer a chance for Son to compete in his native South Korea in the Asian Champions League and Spurs would probably bank a handy fee from the oil-rich clubs.
But there was interest from there two years ago rejected by Tottenham and it became clear at the time that Saudi Arabia did not appeal to Son as a future destination.
The USA on the other hand does. In Los Angeles there is the largest Korean population outside Korea and many lucrative personal commercial possibilities ahead of next year’s World Cup finals in North America, a tournament for which South Korea have already qualified.
In baseball, they are familiar with the pulling power of an Asian sporting icon. Lee Jung-hoo is in the second of a six-year deal worth £84m as an outfielder for the San Francisco Giants.
Lee, the son of a Korean baseball legend of the ‘90s who was nicknamed 'Son of the Wind' (Lee Jnr is 'Grandson of the Wind'), is finally getting his feet under the table in the US after an injury-curtailed debut, and his shirts are selling six times faster than the next most popular.
One section of the stadium has been designated to his fan club, which goes by the name ‘Jung-hoo Crew’, and the Giants’ marketing team are in overdrive, signing deals with sponsors and broadcasters to beam matches live into South Korea.
Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese megastar at LA Dodgers that many deem the most talented on the planet due to his unique ability to both pitch and hit, has a 10-year contract worth £700m - and will be worth far more to the Dodgers in commercial value over the length of that deal.
Son’s exit would prompt Spurs to return their focus to areas like the USA, with all the digital engagement and layers of marketing expertise built up through the latter half of his decade at the club.
According to Joyce of the CLV Group, data shows that the top 14 clubs in European football are leaving a billion dollars a year in potential revenue untapped in the USA by failing to ‘identify, connect and engage’ with their fans in that market.
Spurs are well set for an offensive across the Atlantic with the NFL at the heart of the stadium project. At the same time, they will continue to nourish their South Korean stronghold.
This summer, there was a link-up with K-Pop boy band Stray Kids for two sold-out concerts at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Limited editions of the new black away shirts featuring the Stray Kids logo went on sale at £250 each to mark the occasion.
'It enables Spurs to build on connections with those fans regardless of Son,' says Joyce. 'They are a club doing this sort of thing really well, thinking creatively about content and their direct relationships with fans who can’t come to the game.'
Then there is their teenage winger Yang Min-hyeok, signed from Gangwon last year. The 19-year-old spent five months from January on loan at Queen’s Park Rangers, who sold more shirts in his name during that time than any other player across the entire season.
He made his South Korea debut in March yet remains some distance from a regular place in Thomas Frank’s team.
'Korean fans regard Korean players in Europe as the nation’s pride,' says journalist Lee. 'They feel happy when those players are performing well and bad when they have hard times and are criticised.
'This is one reason for their passion and the many Korean flags you see in the stadiums. There is a strong bond. The Korean players in Europe are kind of representatives.
'But there’s an important point, because some clubs think they will get the interest and support of Korean fans simply by buying a Korean player, but it could work only if they are in the first team.
'Otherwise, the fans would feel the Korean player is wasting his time in the club so the situation could backfire, and the Korean fans could have negative views on those clubs.'
First though, another jaunt east. To Hong Kong and South Korea with Son at the vanguard. Prepare for the hysteria. And kerching! Once more unto the merch, dear friends.
Thomas Frank will split his Tottenham squad down the middle for preseason friendly games against Luton and Wycombe to ensure all his players can step up their preparations.
Spurs will take on Wycombe at the training ground at 11am on Saturday and Luton at Kenilworth Road, kicking off at 3pm.
At Reading, in the first preseason game of Frank’s tenure, the new boss gave 22 players 45 minutes each but now has others back and in the fold who were not available last weekend.
Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert and Archie Gray reported back later than others after taking part in the U21 Euros and new signing Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale in Japan had only just received a work permit enabling him to train with the team.
Richarlison missed the game at Reading as he worked on his fitness but with those back and young players around the fringes, Frank has decided to send a first team to both fixtures.
Tottenham’s preseason continues with a high-profile tour of Asia, where they will face Arsenal in Hong Kong on July 31.
After facing their north London rivals, Frank’s side will travel to Seoul to take on Newcastle, before returning to Europe for a clash against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
Following the Asian leg of their tour, Spurs are up against Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup final on August 13, which will be held in Udine, Italy.
The Europa League champions then return to London to finalise preparations ahead of the new Premier League season; Tottenham begin their campaign on August 16 at home to Burnley.
With just under a month to go, Frank is keen to ensure every member of his squad hits the ground running.
Son Heung-min is wanted by Los Angeles FC and Tottenham will not stand in his way if he wants to leave and a deal can be struck.
There has been no formal bid from the MLS club, but there has been contact to declare an interest in signing the 33-year-old Spurs captain as they search for a new star striker after losing former Arsenal and Chelsea centre forward Olivier Giroud to Lille.
LAFC are reported to be preparing a deal in the region of £15-20million which could be enough to tempt Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy into talks.
Son is into the final year of his contract in North London and having scored 173 goals in 454 games and lifted the Europa League in May his status as a legend in N17 is guaranteed.
He has been a commercial phenomenon, too, and there is no prospect of him leaving before the pre-season tour to Asia, which features games against Arsenal in Hong Kong on Thursday and Newcastle in Seoul three days later.
Tottenham’s fee for the games would be slashed without Son, the biggest draw in Asian football. Equally, Son does not want to miss another chance to represent Spurs in South Korea or let down his millions of fans in his homeland.
Once they return, the question of his exit will become more urgent.
Spurs will take account of everything Son has done for the club. If it is a move he wants to happen they will try to help him achieve it, although Levy will not allow that to undermine any fee.
There is new chapter unfolding under Thomas Frank, who did little to quell the feeling Son would leave the club before end of the transfer window when he spoke last week.
Frank’s squad is well stocked in wide attacking areas and Son’s form was disappointing last season compared to his own high standards.
They have signed Mohamed Kudus from West Ham and made Mathys Tel’s loan from Bayern Munich permanent. There are Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, teenager Mikey Moore and Manor Solomon also in the squad.
There has been no firm interest in Son from Saudi Arabia’s Pro League clubs this summer. There were enquiries in 2023 but he made it clear he was not keen on a move to Saudi.
A move to the USA makes much more sense a year before they co-host the World Cup finals, a tournament for which South Korea have already qualified, and particularly to LA a city with the largest Korean community outside Korea.
LAFC signed Hugo Lloris, Son’s predecessor as Spurs captain, 18 months ago. The MLS is in mid-season, and they are fifth of 15 in the Western Conference with games in hand after taking part in the Club World Cup.
Morgan Gibbs-White has linked up with his Nottingham Forest team-mates in Portugal after missing the start of their pre-season training camp, Mail Sport can confirm.
The playmaker, who was the subject of a £60million bid from Tottenham earlier this month, was absent from the travelling party due to a private matter unrelated to football.
But Mail Sport understands Gibbs-White has now flown to Portugal and will train as normal with Nuno Espirito Santo's squad.
Gibbs-White has been one of the central figures of the summer transfer window.
Spurs thought they had activated a £60million release clause in his contract earlier this month but the move was halted dramatically when Forest threatened to report Spurs to the Premier League for an alleged 'illegal' approach.
Though the 25-year-old remains keen to join Spurs, there is a suggestion Forest would prefer him to move elsewhere given the circumstances of the original approach.
It is understood, however, that Gibbs-White has shown an exemplary attitude since returning for duty on July 14.
Forest were prepared to sell Gibbs-White this summer but were unhappy with how Spurs handled themselves. Manchester City showed a strong interest in Gibbs-White during the spring, only for the trail to go cold in the close-season as they moved instead for Lyon playmaker Rayan Cherki, who cost £34m.
The unknown factor is how Forest respond to an eventual second offer from Spurs.
Mail Sport learned in January that Gibbs-White was resisting Forest's attempts to offer him a new deal that would at least have doubled his £60,000-a-week salary.
A second offer from Tottenham of about £65m is thought to have been discussed, though not yet submitted, and it is unclear whether this would be enough to change Forest's stance.
Forest have already lost one key attacking player this summer after Anthony Elanga was sold to Newcastle for £55m last week, and the departure of Gibbs-White would force boss Nuno to revamp his attacking plans.
The club still hope Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is out of contract in the summer, will sign a new deal, while Forest are interested in Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey, Manchester City's James McAtee and Swiss attacker Dan Ndoye, who plays for Italian club Bologna.
Nottingham Forest would prefer to keep Morgan Gibbs-White out of the clutches of Tottenham and sell to him to a rival club.
Spurs thought they had activated a £60million release clause in Gibbs-White’s contract earlier this month but the move was halted dramatically when Forest threatened to report Spurs to the Premier League for an alleged 'illegal' approach.
Gibbs-White is not currently in Portugal with Forest – though this is due to a private matter unrelated to football, and he is scheduled to link up with the squad later this week.
Though the 25-year-old remains keen to join Spurs, it is understood he has shown an exemplary attitude since returning for duty on July 14.
Forest were prepared to sell Gibbs-White this summer but were unhappy with how Spurs handled their approach.
Manchester City showed a strong interest in Gibbs-White during the spring, only for the trail to go cold in the close-season as they moved instead for Lyon playmaker Rayan Cherki, who cost £34m.
The unknown factor is how Forest respond to an eventual second offer from Spurs. Mail Sport learned in January that Gibbs-White was resisting Forest’s attempts to offer him a new deal that would at least have doubled his £60,000-a-week salary.
A second offer from Tottenham of about £65m is thought to have been discussed, though not yet submitted, and it is unclear whether this would be enough to change Forest’s stance.
Forest have already lost one key attacking player this summer after Anthony Elanga was sold to Newcastle for £55m last week, and the departure of Gibbs-White would force boss Nuno Espirito Santo to revamp his attacking plans.
The club still hope Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is out of contract in the summer, will sign a new deal, while Forest are interested in Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey, Manchester City’s James McAtee and Swiss attacker Dan Ndoye, who plays for Italian club Bologna.
Morgan Gibbs-White has not travelled to Nottingham Forest’s pre-season training camp in Portugal due to a private matter.
The attacking midfielder is a target for Tottenham, who thought they had activated a £60million release clause in his contract earlier this month, but the move was halted dramatically when Forest threatened to report Spurs to the Premier League for an alleged 'illegal' approach.
Mail Sport can confirm Gibbs-White was not part of the Forest squad who left England this morning, though it is understood that this was not transfer-related.
At this stage, Forest still expect Gibbs-White to link up with his team-mates later this week.
The 25-year-old returned to training on July 14 and held talks with club officials. He is thought to have shown an excellent attitude since reporting for duty though it is believed Gibbs-White wanted his future resolved before the first-team group departed for Portugal.
Gibbs-White played the first half of Forest’s pre-season friendly at Chesterfield on July 19 and was given a warm reception by supporters. He responded with his own gesture of gratitude.
Mail Sport learned in January that Gibbs-White was resisting Forest's attempts to offer him a new deal that would at least have doubled his £60,000-a-week salary.
Earlier in the summer, it appeared Gibbs-White was set to join Manchester City, although that trail went cold at the time and has yet to be revived.
Meanwhile, Wolves would be a due about 10 per cent of any profit Forest made through selling Gibbs-White, after they signed him from the Molineux club three years ago for an initial £25m.
A second offer from Tottenham of about £65m is thought to have been discussed, though not yet submitted, and it is unclear whether this would be enough to change Forest's stance.
Forest have already lost one key attacking player this summer after Anthony Elanga was sold to Newcastle for £55m last week, and the departure of Gibbs-White would force Nuno to revamp his attacking plans.
The club still hope Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is out of contract in the summer, will sign a new deal, while Forest are interested in Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey as well as James McAtee of Manchester City.