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Tottenham 'weigh up' Marc Guehi transfer revival amid Crystal Palace battle and Liverpool stance

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Tottenham 'weigh up' Marc Guehi transfer revival amid Crystal Palace battle and Liverpool stance - Football London
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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.

standstill, personal update, 'alternative transfer talks begin'

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Morgan Gibbs-White to Tottenham - standstill, personal update, 'alternative transfer talks begin' - Football London
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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).

White transfer twist as £60m saga takes fresh turn

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Tottenham hit with new Morgan Gibbs-White transfer twist as £60m saga takes fresh turn - Football London
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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 Leeds United feelings clear as Tottenham transfer stance set after update

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Manor Solomon Leeds United feelings clear as Tottenham transfer stance set after update - Football London
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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.

White Tottenham transfer latest and five ways the saga can end

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Morgan Gibbs-White Tottenham transfer latest and five ways the saga can end - Football London
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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 investigating after incident during Tottenham's first win under Thomas Frank at Reading

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Police investigating after incident during Tottenham's first win under Thomas Frank at Reading - Football London
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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."

White to Tottenham transfer: Forest legal action, Premier League stance, agent role

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Morgan Gibbs-White to Tottenham transfer: Forest legal action, Premier League stance, agent role - Football London
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The Morgan Gibbs-White transfer saga rumbles on without any breakthrough in negotiations.

Tottenham are keen on signing the player after triggering his £60million release clause, but Nottingham Forest have dug their heels in. They feel Spurs have made an illegal approach and that they should not have known the 25-year-old's contract details.

It is not a week-and-a-half since Spurs made the move to sign Gibbs-White - to be Thomas Frank's fourth summer signing - and we are still none the wiser over whether or not he will be a Tottenham player or a Nottingham Forest player at the start of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

So what has happened and what is the situation with the deal? football.london takes a look below.

What happened?

The move for Gibbs-White came out of the blue publicly, although behind the scenes Spurs have held a long-term interest in the former Wolves man; new head coach Thomas Frank wanted him at Brentford, and is known to believe the midfielder's creativity and energy make him perfect for his set-up. So the approach made sense for all parties.

Tottenham made their move and it all seemed to be accelerating quickly. However, Forest took umbrage, believing an illegal approach had been made to their player without their permission, and that the confidentiality of Gibbs-White's £60million release clause had been breached with suggestions that Spurs made a bid that was exactly what was required to release him.

Forest reportedly ended communications with the north London club and everything suddenly ground to a halt. Having already sold Anthony Elanga to Newcastle for £52million, Nuno Espirito Santo's side were not planning on losing the England midfielder as well this summer.

Forest complaint

It was widely reported that Forest would make a complaint to the Premier League over what happened with Spurs and their transfer approach, but that has not quite happened.

Instead, they sent a letter to both Tottenham and Gibbs-White's agent threatening them with legal action over what they deem to have been an illegal approach for the 25-year-old England international.

Premier League stance

While both Forest and Tottenham have been very quiet on the situation on the record, the same can be said for the Premier League too.

football.londoncontacted the Premier League for their stance on the saga and they made it clear that they would not be commenting or providing guidance on what is happening. All understandable, really, with the legal aspect of things. So officially we're going to wait for this to run its course.

What's next for Gibbs-White?

Forest go on a pre-season tour of Portugal later this week, with games against Fulham and Estoril Praia on Saturday, July 26 and Wednesday, July 30 respectively.

Gibbs-White was named in the starting XI for Forest's 0-0 draw with Monaco on Saturday and is widely expected to be named in the travelling party for the trip to Portugal.

Gibbs-White stance

Tottenham remain hopeful that a deal will eventually get done, believing that with the release clause activated, it is simply a matter of time before it is concluded.

And Gibbs-White himself is understood to want to make the move to north London. Manchester City were previously interested in signing him, but Gibbs-White - while remaining professional and playing and training with Forest - wants a move to Spurs.

Forest have been trying to tie him down to a longer-term contract with a higher release clause but the player has turned down the opportunity to negotiate over contract talks for almost a year.

min concern, his Thomas Frank chat and five things you may have missed in Tottenham game

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Son Heung-min concern, his Thomas Frank chat and five things you may have missed in Tottenham game - Football London
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The Thomas Frank era at Tottenham Hotspur began with a victory at the weekend at League One hosts Reading and there was plenty for the new head coach and the supporters to take away from the game.

The 51-year-old stepped into the dugout for the first time with the Spurs badge on his chest as he put out two different starting XIs in either half of the match at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The first 45 minutes under Frank brought a goalless affair before the second period delivered goals from young striker Will Lankshear and 18-year-old centre-back Luka Vuskovic, as well as an exciting performance from £55million new signing Mohammed Kudus to seal the 2-0 win.

The Tottenham boss handed the captain's armband to Cristian Romero in the first half and then Son Heung-min in the second, having admitted the previous day that he was yet to decide on his skipper for his first season at the club.

Here are five things that we spotted during the encounter at Reading, including some discomfort for one of those two men wearing the armband.

Sore Son

While Son looked rusty during the game, the 33-year-old did play his part in both goals in that second half, winning the corners that led to each of them.

The South Korean looked to be in some discomfort at the end of the match and after the game, constantly holding and hitting the base of his back with his hand as he listened to the head coach's post-match debrief as well as before undergoing some warm-down runs on the pitch after the final whistle.

Whether it was an impact issue from a knock during the game or part of an ongoing concern for the Tottenham captain is unclear but he certainly seemed to be struggling with it while walking around, and appeared to speak to one of the club staff on the pitch about it before those runs.

Chatty Frank

One immediate difference between Frank and his predecessor Ange Postecoglou is that the Dane likes to be the man dishing out the tactical instructions to individuals while the Australian would delegate that to his coaching staff as more a manager than a head coach in the traditional mould.

Frank could be seen going around to various players before crouching down beside Son with a little tactics board as the South Korean tied up his shoelaces and put his shinpads into his socks. The Dane had a quick chat with the skipper as he moved bits around on the board.

The new Spurs head coach also decided to conduct both of his half-time and full-time team talks on the pitch during the match. The one at the interval concerned only those coming on for the second half while the final one had everyone present in the squad, presumably as they would not have all fitted in the small and probably very warm dressing room.

"Got the first 45 minutes into the legs, very good," the former Brentford boss said to his players. "Second thing, got a clean sheet. Third thing, dangerous from set-pieces, and reactions, good overall, could also be better. Of course defensive sharpness. Fantastic. Ok. Action. Pressed good from the start. Bring it. That's it, well done everyone."

Crowd trouble

The final minutes of Saturday's game brought some disturbances in the crowd at the top of one stand where the Spurs and Reading fans were closest to one another.

Stewards were having to intervene, ensuring a line between the two sets of supporters and objects looked like they were being thrown, some of them landing on those Reading staff.

There was talk after the game of potential police intervention following those clashes and any potential results of that are likely to emerge in the days ahead.

Vicario's debrief with Spence

When the final whistle blew on the pitch, Guglielmo Vicario, who had made a couple of good second half saves including one right at the death, went over and grabbed Djed Spence.

The Italian goalkeeper launched into one of his now trademark emotional debriefs for one of his defenders, with his arms around the right-back's neck and pushing himself head to head with him as he spoke.

Spence even had time to turn to goalscorer Lankshear and congratulate him while being held by Vicario as the Italian kept delivering his passionate sermon even though the defender was speaking to someone else briefly.

There's no doubting Vicario cares and he was keen to debrief after what for them both was hopefully the first of many clean sheets this season.

Making Spurs fans happy

After the game, while many of the Tottenham players gave the 3,000 or so travelling supporters applause, particularly the second half players, some of them appeared to take a little more time with the fans.

There may have been others that did as well, but football.london definitely saw Micky van de Ven go over to some of the travelling faithful while the two players who seemed to spend the most time with the fans were Djed Spence and Will Lankshear who went over and posed for photos and signed things for many of the crowd who had come down to the advertising hoardings.

That didn't stop some fans wanting that little bit more with one young supporter shouted at by stewards as he jumped on to the pitch and started to run across to where Kevin Danso was doing his post-match interview with the club. The youngster quickly turned and went back to the stand.

Leeds wonderkid pens emotional goodbye message ahead of Tottenham summer transfer

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Leeds wonderkid pens emotional goodbye message ahead of Tottenham summer transfer - Football London
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Teenage striker Oliver Boast has confirmed his Leeds United departure, with the youngster expected to sign for Tottenham Hotspur.

The 16-year-old, who netted nine times in 18 Under-18 Premier League appearances last term, appears destined to join Leeds' top-flight rivals Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

In a message posted on his Instagram account over the weekend, Boast penned: "After 8 years at Leeds United, it’s now time for me to move on and start a new chapter.

"I’ve been lucky enough to share some amazing moments with great teammates and the memories we shared will stay with me forever.

"A big thank you to everyone at Leeds who has helped me over the years - I wish the club all the best for the future!"

Reports surfaced in media last month that Boast had agreed to move to north London to further his footballing development. The Athletic revealed no tribunal would be necessary as Leeds have secured a seven-figure transfer fee with Spurs for Boast's signature.

Boast, a centre-forward by nature, made his bow for Leeds' Under-18s last August. His standout displays at club level secured him an England U16s selection last December where he found the net for the first time during that international gathering, reports Leeds Live.

He also turned out for the U21s outfit in April but remained behind Harry Gray in the hierarchy for a starting berth. Boast appears set to link up with former Leeds academy product Archie Gray at Tottenham. More than 12 months have elapsed since Gray joined Tottenham in a £40million transfer, with Joe Rodon moving in the reverse direction.

White transfer boost as Nottingham Forest eye replacement

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Tottenham get Morgan Gibbs-White transfer boost as Nottingham Forest eye replacement - Football London
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Nottingham Forest are reportedly targeting Manchester City's James McAtee as a potential replacement for Morgan Gibbs-White, with the 22-year-old midfielder on their summer wishlist.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side are looking to bolster their attacking options ahead of their historic return to European competition after a 29-year absence. The Reds secured seventh place in the Premier League last term and earned their Europa League spot after FA Cup winners Crystal Palace were relegated to the Conference League due to UEFA's multi-club ownership regulations.

Despite their European qualification, Forest have been relatively quiet in the transfer market, making only two senior additions with striker Igor Jesus and defender Jair Cunha arriving from Botafogo, whilst winger Anthony Elanga departed for Newcastle in a £55million deal. Gibbs-White's future remains uncertain, with Tottenham circling the England international as they look to bring him to north London, reports the Mirror.

Spurs submitted a £60million offer for the midfielder that triggered his release clause, though Forest have alleged an "illegal approach" and the transfer remains stalled. With Gibbs-White potentially heading for the exit door, Forest are reportedly eyeing McAtee as his replacement, according to the Telegraph. The report suggests City have placed a £35million price tag on the promising playmaker.

It's understood that the Citizens are using Cole Palmer's £42.5million switch to Chelsea in 2023 as their valuation benchmark for McAtee, with Forest facing stiff competition from West Ham, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt. McAtee featured 27 times for City last term, though only nine were from the starting XI, with boss Pep Guardiola acknowledging the youngster may need to depart in pursuit of regular football.

Speaking back in April, Guardiola said: "I didn't allow him to play minutes so I cannot ask anything from the players who don't play a lot of minutes. They could do better? No. Macca has this quality, the ability to create.

"He is there. The game worked better against Palace, you create chances. Macca close to the box is quite similar to Phil. They are there, a sense. It's difficult to train, to make that movement because the ball is coming. If he plays minutes he will score.

"For the age, I'd like him to stay. But I understand the players want more minutes. I would like him to stay, he's a player for the academy, he knows the patterns. He's a lovely person and trained really good. He can play different positions but I don't know how the squad will be and we will see."