Football London

Morgan Gibbs-White is keen to have his future sorted before Nottingham Forest depart for their pre-season camp in Portugal.

The 25 year old finds himself at the centre of a heated transfer dispute after Tottenham triggered his £60million release clause, believing they had secured the England international at a bargain price.

However, Forest retaliated by alleging an "illegal approach" from the North London outfit and threatened legal action amid concerns over a confidentiality breach regarding the player's release clause.

The City Ground club declared the transfer dead in the water for now after lodging a complaint against Spurs with the Premier League, with Gibbs-White subsequently returning to pre-season preparations under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Despite the ongoing uncertainty surrounding his situation, Gibbs-White has maintained an "exemplary attitude" during training sessions, according to the Daily Mail, though he remains determined to join Thomas Frank's Tottenham, reports the Mirror.

The midfielder held discussions with Forest hierarchy at their training facility on Monday and is now seeking resolution regarding his destination for the upcoming campaign.

Gibbs-White remains "hopeful" that matters will be concluded by the weekend as Forest gear up for their opening pre-season encounter against Monaco on Saturday.

During their Portuguese stint, Forest are scheduled to face Fulham and local outfit Estoril Praia. The report suggests that the "ball is in Tottenham's court", with the Europa League winners contemplating a second offer valued at approximately £65m - though it remains uncertain whether such a sum would persuade Forest to reconsider their stance.

Should no advancement occur regarding a fresh proposal, Gibbs-White is anticipated to accompany Forest on their Portuguese excursion. The squad are scheduled to remain in the country until August 1.

They will then return for fixtures against Fiorentina and Al Qadsiah at the City Ground ahead of their Premier League curtain-raiser versus Brentford on August 17.

Frank would be keen to integrate Gibbs-White into his setup at the earliest opportunity to ensure a complete pre-season alongside the gifted midfielder, who netted seven times in the Premier League last campaign whilst providing eight assists.

His outstanding displays have also attracted attention from Manchester City and he now boasts four England caps - with Thomas Tuchel selecting him for recent encounters against Andorra and Senegal.

Spurs are optimistic about making him their second marquee acquisition of the transfer window having already wrapped up the signing of West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus for £55m.

It’s not long until Premier League football return for Tottenham Hotspur and their rivals, with Spurs also having the return of Champions League football to prepare for.

Preparations for both competitions are well underway as Thomas Frank prepares for his first season with the club. Spurs kick-off their 2025/26 campaign with a home game against newly-promoted Burnley on Saturday, 16 August (3pm kick-off), it comes three days after the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain.

Frank will be hoping to have the majority of his transfer business done by time that game comes around. So far, Spurs have completed the permanent signing of five players.

Both Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel have made their loan moves permanent, while Kota Takai, Luka Vuskovic and Mohammed Kudus have also arrived.

There is expected to be more moves both in and out of the club between now and the end of the window. One name being talked about a lot is Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White .

The situation is turning into somewhat of a saga, with Tottenham launching a £60 million bid earlier this month. That bid triggered a release clause in his contract, with a medical planned the next day.

However, Forest have showed their unhappiness and believe an illegal approach has been made. Despite being keen on a move to Spurs, Gibbs-White has returned to training with Forest, he has however been excused from the club’s pre-season tour of Portugal due to personal matter unrelated to football.

While no resolution is currently in sight, any sort of drop in resistance from Forest could see a deal move quickly. It’s a situation to keep a close eye on over the next few days.

Another Premier League player to be linked with a move to Tottenham is Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi . Spurs saw a £70 million bid for the England international turned down by Palace back in January.

But Tottenham reportedly maintain their interest this summer . Guehi has just one year left on his contract at Selhurst Park, with no new deal in sight, this window could be the last chance for Palace to get a decent fee for the player, they therefore could be more open to a deal.

As well as incomings, this week could potentially see movement on potential outgoings too. Manor Solomon spent last year on loan with Leeds United, where he impressed in the Championship, with the Whites expected to be keen to take him on a permanent deal should he be available.

The winger missed the first pre-season game against Reading with a minor calf injury. While Frank would like to take a look at him before making a final decision, Spurs will have to make it more quickly should a bid arrive.

Another player who spent last season on loan was Bryan Gil. After returning from Spanish side Girona this summer, he is expected to leave before the end of the window.

He has now returned to Spain to continue his rehabilitation from a season-ending injury. The arrival of Kudus will only push him further down the pecking order at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with an exit expected sooner rather than later.

Tottenham would need to get at least one central midfielder out of the door before pushing through any interest in signing Bayern Munich's Joao Palhinha, football.london understands.

Spurs are looking to improve Thomas Frank's squad this summer for a season that brings with it a return to the Champions League. After last summer brought a flood of teenage signings alongside one senior transfer in Dominic Solanke, Tottenham are targeting more ready-made players this time around to ensure the new head coach can get off to a faster start across all competitions.

They have already brought in Premier League experience in the shape of £55million arrival Mohammed Kudus from West Ham as well as making Mathys Tel's loan move permanent for around £30million after the Bayern man experienced English football in the first half of 2025 on loan at the north London club.

Kevin Danso's loan move from Lens also automatically became permanent this summer in a £21million deal after his half-season with Tottenham. New £5million man Kota Takai is the only summer signing who is yet to play in the Premier League.

Spurs have also been trying to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White only for legal complications to currently surround that potential £60million transfer.

Another player with Premier League experience that Tottenham have an interest in is former Fulham man Palhinha, who moved to Bayern a year ago. The 30-year-old ball winner's £46million switch to Germany has not been a successful one though so far with just six Bundesliga starts and only nine across all competitions for the Bavarian giants.

Palhinha was not helped in November last year when he suffered a torn muscle fibre in his right adductor while training with the Portugal national team. That kept him out of action for two-and-a-half months and was followed by an illness and a red card against Bochum with a subsequent one-game suspension and he struggled for minutes after that as Bayern won the Bundesliga.

At this month's Club World Cup in the USA, the Portuguese played just 45 minutes in the dead rubber final group stage defeat against Benfica.

Spurs' interest in Palhinha goes back to his Fulham days when he impressed across 79 appearances for the Cottagers, having almost joined Bayern in 2023 only for the London side to fail to find a replacement before that summer window shut.

football.london understands that while there is that interest in the experienced Bayern man and he is one of a number of candidates Spurs are looking at as a new defensive midfielder for the squad, there would first need to be at least one departure from an area of the squad that currently contains Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, Pape Matar Sarr and Archie Gray, while James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski can also play in deeper roles as can potential signing Gibbs-White.

Bissouma and Bentancur are both approaching the final 11 months of their contracts, although it was notable that Frank mentioned wanting to fit the Uruguayan into his team this season in his first club interview. There has been plenty of talk of a new deal for Bentancur while Bissouma looks to be the odd man out after struggling to find consistency since arriving from Brighton in 2022.

Tottenham are also governed by club-trained homegrown issues which currently mean that with their bloated squad they have to attempt to squeeze 31 senior players into 21 spots in their Champions League squad and that's not including Gibbs-White.

There is also the price tag when it comes to Palhinha, who has been linked with other Premier League clubs. Reports in Germany suggest a fee anywhere between €25-30million (£22-26million) would be required, as Bayern look to recoup as much of what they paid Fulham as possible. That is a fee that would appear to go against Tottenham's policy of only spending bigger sums on younger players.

With the Portuguese now in his 30s and having played so little football last season, a loan with an option to buy will be a more appealing scenario for Spurs unless that price tag drops. Tottenham had some interest in Frank's former Brentford captain Christian Norgaard, but the 31-year-old moved to Arsenal in a deal worth only an initial £10million. The Dane had two years left on his contract compared to Palhinha's three but he had more Premier League experience than the former Fulham man.

Frank was asked in his first Tottenham press conference whether the club would look at more signings with English top flight experience.

"I think it’s a plus to have Premier League experience, I don’t think it’s the most important [thing]. For me when I look at a player, I think, is it a good player? The ability is most important. If it is a very good player I don’t think he has a problem playing in the Premier League," he said.

"I know it is very intense, very physical but I don’t think any problems for any player to play here. Of course, different times in careers, things like that, but not the only thing we’re looking into."

Frank has also made it clear that while he wants a strong squad, he needs to make decisions over which players need to leave in the weeks ahead.

"No doubt if you want to compete in all tournaments you need a competitive squad, a robust squad. There’s a lot of competitive players in the squad. It’s an exciting squad. There’s no doubt the club is in the market and looking. I would like to speak when a player comes in and not about the market," he said.

"It’s always a balance, the squad size, how big, how small should it be to compete. I know Tottenham. I know the players, I’ve seen a lot but I need to know them one to one, need to train them and getting input every single day about them to give me more knowledge. But if you want to compete you need to use the squad well."

One position Frank appeared to rule out for the mean time in the transfer market is another forward.

"I think the front three, four, depending on if we play with a 10 and a front three, with Dominic up there, I think Richarlison is a good striker, I know he’s been struggling with injuries, I think he was having a strong end to the season and was very important for the team to win the Europa League trophy," he said.

"Brennan, Kulusevski, I know he’s out for a little bit of a while but he’s still there, Maddison, Odobert, Mathys Tel and now Kudus. I think that’s a strong, creative frontline and I’m 100 per cent sure we will score a lot of goals."

Tottenham signed a player they believe can become a star in 20-year-old Japan international Kota Takai and they saw off competition from other clubs to sign him.

Spurs completed the £5million signing of the centre-back from Kawasaki Frontale this month and the young defender received his work permit last week. A knock in training meant Takai missed Thomas Frank's first match on Saturday as Tottenham beat League One side Reading 2-0 in their opening friendly of pre-season.

Now the manager of one of the clubs also looking to sign the Japanese centre-back, FC Copenhagen Jacob Neestrup, has spoken about his side missing out on the player because of Tottenham's approach. The Dane was a guest on podcast Vores Liga and Campo.dk have reported his comments, as translated by Sport Witness.

"I can also say that we looked at Kota Takai, who is at Tottenham now," he said. "He was also a player we had a good look at, but we did not succeed in getting him to Copenhagen. But at least they are some talented players."

The 6ft 3ins Takai played 81 times for Kawasaki, with 57 of those games coming in the J.League and he played a big role in his club winning the Japanese Super Cup last year and was duly named the J.League's Young Player of the Year.

Takai has also got plenty of experience in the AFC Champions League as an integral part of the Kawasaki side that reached the final last month. He made his Japan senior debut just after his 20th birthday and has appeared in four World Cup qualifiers so far.

It would have been more but for an adductor injury suffered in October last year and it's worth noting that many in the Japan squad ply their trade in European football.

Now Takai will be looking to make an impact in the Premier League with Tottenham and first he must earn a place in Frank's team.

Tottenham have once again been linked with Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, with competition bigger since their previous attempt. Guehi, 25, captained Palace to FA Cup glory last season, and because of his performances over his past years at Selhurst Park, he earned the opportunity to feature heavily in England's run to the Euro 2024 final one year ago.

As such, the central defender's stock rose dramatically, and Spurs thought they could capitalise in January. On deadline day six months ago, Spurs – under Ange Postecoglou at the time – tabled a £70m offer for Guehi, which was immediately turned down by their London rivals.

Parting ways with their captain midway through the season was never an option for the Eagles, even though it has now left them in a tight spot with Guehi's contract expiring in one year from now. With no renewal in sight, he stands to walk away for free.

Now The Telegraph say with retained interest under new boss Thomas Frank, a new attempt from Spurs is not ruled out.

Adding tension to the situation is Palace's ongoing dispute over their place in next season's Europa League.

For winning the FA Cup, they were due to take up a spot in Europe. A conflict of interests arose from investor John Textor owning a controlling stake in French side Lyon; therefore, UEFA ruled that Palace can't compete in the same competition – a verdict that chairman Steve Parish has confirmed will be appealed.

So, as that war wages on before the season starts, it remains to be seen what the outcome is and what impact it has on the minds of a player such as Guehi, as a club such as Spurs could offer him Champions League football next season.

Another factor for the player to personally consider is the opportunities he will get over the next year, as he will be hopeful of earning a place in Thomas Tuchel's England plans for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

And lastly, if Spurs were serious about Guehi, they could now find themselves in direct competition with Liverpool.

As reported by football.london's sister site, the Liverpool ECHO, the former Chelsea prospect is thought of in high regard at Anfield. They are prepared to play the waiting game if it means securing a player of Guehi's calibre for free in 2026, though they will remain attentive in case Palace hint they will allow a discounted transfer this summer.

The transfer saga of Morgan Gibbs-White remains unresolved with Tottenham Hotspur's move for their top target hanging in the balance. One-and-a-half weeks ago, Gibbs-White's £60m release clause from Nottingham Forest was triggered by Spurs, but the East Midlands club took serious issue insinuating this was an illegal approach as key details involved should not have been known.

So, there lies a situation in which Spurs have been left waiting over a midfielder they strongly desire, Forest are fighting to resist the transfer taking place and the player is between two clubs, not knowing where he will begin the upcoming 2025/26 campaign in less than four weeks.

Here, football.london gathers the latest information and reports on this unfolding saga.

football.london understands

Spurs are still keen to sign the midfielder, as Thomas Frank has long had his eye on Gibbs-White, dating back to his days as Brentford boss and the player's breakthrough at former club Wolves.

Forest feel the confidentiality of the release clause's exact amount has been breached, at which point they reportedly ended communications with North London chiefs, so as things stand, the deal is at a standstill, and there is no clear end in sight towards any kind of resolution.

The clubs have kept quiet whilst football.london contacted the Premier League for their stance. They made it clear that they would not be commenting or providing guidance on what is happening given the legal ramifications.

Personal update

Gibbs-White has not travelled with Forest on their pre-season trip to Portugal, it has been confirmed.

Amid the drama of his transfer saga, the 25-year-old has not travelled due to a private personal matter unrelated to football. His partner is currently pregnant and has openly shared this on social media.

Gibbs-White is expected to fly out and meet his current teammates later in the week as they prepare to face Fulham (July 26) and Estoril (July 30).

Alternative transfer talks

CaughtOffside claim the agents of RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Xavi Simons have reached out to Spurs, as well as Arsenal and Chelsea.

Noise is growing about the Dutch talent's next career step following his two years in Germany. Over that period Simons has made 76 appearances, scoring 21 and assisting 23.

So, Frank and Co. have been dragged into the saga of a player angling for a Premier League move. As an 'alternative' to Gibbs-White if things do not pan out on that front, Simons would reportedly cost €60m (£51m).

Nottingham Forest have shut down lines of communication with Tottenham over a potential deal for Morgan Gibbs-White, it has been claimed. The 25-year-old has been at the centre of a fierce transfer saga as Spurs attempt to bring him to north London in the summer transfer window.

In fact, Thomas Frank's side triggered Gibbs-White's £60million release clause earlier this month. However, Forest took issue and claimed that Tottenham made an illegal approach for the England international.

The Reds feel that confidential details of the release clause's exact amount have been breached.

Almost two weeks has passed since and Forest's board have ended communication with Tottenham over Gibbs-White, according to Sky Sports. A potential deal for the former Sheffield United and Wolves man is therefore at a standstill and there is no clear end in sight regarding a resolution.

Tottenham and Forest have kept quiet when it comes to public statements whilst football.london contacted the Premier League for their stance. They made it clear that they would not be commenting on what is happening given the legal ramifications.

Amid the increased transfer talk, Gibbs-White returned to pre-season training at Forest last week and featured during their 0-0 draw against Monaco on Saturday. He played the first half before being serenaded off the pitch by the Forest supporters in attendance at the SMH Group Stadium in Chesterfield.

Forest were then due to travel out to Portugal for a pre-season tour on Monday, but Gibbs-White has not jetted out with the rest of his teammates because of a personal matter. He is expected to fly out and meet his current teammates later in the week as they prepare to face Fulham and Estoril.

Gibbs-White scored seven goals and provided 10 assists last season as Forest finished seventh in the Premier League. He provided the assist for Anthony Elanga's winner against Tottenham on Boxing Day, before putting in an inspired performance as The Reds beat Spurs 2-1 back in April.

Tottenham have signed five players this summer. Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel arrived on loan in January but have penned permanent contracts, while Luka Vuksovic has finally made the move from Hajduck Split, Kota Takai has joined from Kawasaki Frontale and Mohammed Kudus has signed from West Ham.

Frank's men kickstarted their pre-season campaign with a 2-0 win at League One side Reading on Saturday and travel to Luton Town, also of the third tier, in another friendly this weekend.

Manor Solomon has been keeping tabs on Leeds United's progress after returning to his parent club Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

Solomon played a pivotal role in Leeds' Championship-winning campaign and subsequent promotion to the Premier League during his loan spell last season. Although he's back at Tottenham, rumours persist about a potential return to Leeds in the transfer window.

For the time being, the Israeli international is closely monitoring his former teammates at Elland Road. Jayden Bogle's Instagram update following Saturday's draw with Manchester United received a 'like' from Solomon, indicating his continued interest in the Whites' affairs, reports Leeds Live.

Solomon's future remains uncertain, with speculation about whether Leeds will attempt to re-sign him for their Premier League campaign. Meanwhile, the winger is concentrating on recovering from a 'minor' injury.

"Manor has a minor calf injury, unfortunately, nothing big," Tottenham's new manager Thomas Frank told the press. This injury meant Solomon was absent from Spurs' 2-0 win against Reading, a League One outfit, last weekend.

Sources close to the situation at Tottenham have outlined to Leeds Live that Solomon himself - whose contract runs until 2028 - has informed the club he would ideally like to stay on in north London. It is claimed that Frank wishes to assess the 25-year-old before making a decision on his future.

Last season, Solomon racked up ten goals and provided 12 assists across 39 Championship appearances.

Daniel Farke has been busy bolstering his squad with six fresh faces, including Jaka Bijol, Lukas Nmecha, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Sebastian Bornauw, Sean Longstaff, and Anton Stach. There remains the possibility for further additions to the Leeds squad before the summer transfer window shuts on September 1.

Morgan Gibbs-White's transfer from Nottingham Forest to Tottenham remains in limbo in a week in which the England international has been excused from travelling to Portugal with Nuno Espirito Santo's side.

Tottenham launched a £60million release clause-triggering bid for the 25-year-old 10 days ago with a medical planned the following day. However, as football.london reported at the time, Gibbs-White never made his way down to Hotspur Way after Forest's unhappiness and that of their owner Evangelos Marinakis was made very clear to him and his representatives.

The Midlands side believed an illegal approach had been made and that the confidential details of the midfielder's release clause had been disclosed with suggestions that Spurs made the exact bid required to trigger it.

While Forest have not made an official complaint to the Premier League as of yet, they are believed to have written to both Spurs and Gibbs-White's agent, putting both parties on legal notice - essentially threatening legal action. Officially both clubs have not said anything about the situation and when football.london contacted the Premier League for their stance on the saga they made it clear that they would not be commenting or providing guidance on what is happening.

For his part, Gibbs-White returned to training as expected last week and has done all that is expected of him at his club, despite wanting to make the move to north London and resisting all contract talks with Forest for months. He played in the first half of Saturday's 0-0 draw with Monaco and as he came off the pitch, he applauded and made a heart sign with his hands to those Forest fans singing his name.

Gibbs-White was not on the plane as Forest departed on Monday for a pre-season tour of Portugal, with games against Fulham and Estoril Praia on Saturday, July 26 and Wednesday, July 30 respectively. The reason for his absence was not believed to be transfer or football related and instead was a private matter that the midfielder had communicated to his club.

The previous day his pregnant fiancée and influencer Britney De Villiers had shared a photo to her followers on Instagram from a hospital bed while speaking about the stress and difficulties involved with a high-risk pregnancy.

The current expectation at Forest is that Gibbs-White will join up with Nuno Espirito Santo and the squad in Portugal later in the week and that nothing has changed in regards to any potential move to Spurs.

So beyond that return to Forest, how does this transfer saga get resolved one way or another? Here are five potential outcomes.

Tottenham push through the deal

One scenario is that Tottenham find they have the legal backing to go through with the original deal and that nothing has contravened that, meaning the release clause is triggered and Gibbs-White completes the original move to the north London outfit.

Spurs have had a long-term interest in the midfielder and new head coach Thomas Frank has also wanted him since his Wolves days, believing he can be the perfect mobile and creative number 10 within his system.

Tottenham do not believe they have done anything wrong in this situation and pushing through with this option would seemingly confirm that.

Spurs pay more

Another option is that in order to get the deal pushed through faster, Tottenham pay over that original release clause to smooth over the problems and give Frank his new midfielder as quickly as possible.

Nobody really wants any legal side to the deal to drag on, but it's hard to see why Spurs would submit an increased offer if they believe the release clause is valid and that they have done nothing wrong, other than to get better instalment terms?

There is also the issue that going back to the negotiating table would involve communications between the two clubs restarting after Forest had shut them down in the first place.

Forest thought Gibbs-White's release clause valued him too low in today's market so have been trying to get it either increased or removed through a new contract that would have made him the club's highest earner, but the player has not entertained such talks over the past year.

Gibbs-White kicks up a fuss

Another potential avenue to be taken is that Gibbs-White puts his foot down and launches his own legal counter if he deems the current limbo as a refusal to activate the release clause originally agreed in his contract.

With the midfielder doing everything asked of him by Forest and reportedly training well at his club and playing in Saturday's friendly, this avenue would seem an unlikely one for a player who has two years left on his contract and will not want to depart from Nottingham with a cloud hanging over him.

Gibbs-White stays

There are three sides to this option. One is that Forest's legal standpoint is found to be valid and that blocks any potential move to north London for the player.

The other side is that Gibbs-White simply feels it's all too much hassle this summer and decides to stay and focus on a season that brings with it Europa League football at Forest and with just over 23 months left on his contract he will be in a stronger position next summer to get a move that he wants.

The third side of this one is Tottenham eventually get frustrated with waiting and move on to another target, albeit disappointed that they could not get someone so highly rated by Frank.

Another club swoops in

Probably the most frustrating scenario for Tottenham and their fans is that another club swoops in and manages to sign Gibbs-White this summer with Forest being more amenable to dealing with them after recent events.

Manchester City were linked with the England international towards the end of last season and into this summer. There has long been rumblings of a potential PSR-boosting deal for both clubs, involving Gibbs-White going in one direction and 22-year-old City academy product James McAtee heading to Forest plus money.

Much will depend on where Gibbs-White wants to go and also that release clause and whether it remains valid, for if it does then any club able to, within the terms of it, could technically trigger the player's release so why pay over the odds?

All eyes are on which scenario comes to pass.

Police investigations are taking place into clashes in the stands during Thomas Frank's first game in charge of Tottenham Hotspur as they won 2-0 at Reading on Saturday afternoon.

Second half Tottenham goals from academy striker Will Lankshear and 18-year-old new centre-back Luka Vuskovic, as well as a bright first performance from £55million signing from West Ham United Mohammed Kudus, helped Spurs and Frank seal a 2-0 win against the League One side on the Dane's debut in the dugout.

However, in the latter stages of the pre-season friendly encounter at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, some less than friendly events were taking place off the pitch. There were disturbances among the crowd in the final minutes of the match up at the top of the south east corner of the ground where the Spurs and Reading fans were closest to one another.

Stewards inside that area of the stadium were having to intervene, ensuring a long clear line was formed between the two sets of supporters. However, objects looked like they were being thrown, some of them landing on those Reading staff in the middle. Now the local police are investigating to find those responsible for the incident during the summer friendly.

A Thames Valley Police spokesperson told football.london: "We are aware of a public order incident at yesterday's match between Reading and Tottenham at the Select Car Leasing Stadium. Officers are investigating and we are working with the club to identify the individuals involved.

"Anyone with information is asked to contact the force on 101 or by making a report online, quoting investigation reference number 43250365707."