Nottingham Forest have kept hold of Morgan Gibbs-White despite Tottenham and Manchester City’s interest, but before Spurs, he was offered a lucrative move away from England.
Gibbs-White signed a new Forest contract to keep him at the City Ground until 2028, ending a summer of speculation that must’ve unsettled the Forest squad.
His Forest teammates thought Gibbs-White would move to Man City after Pep Guardiola’s side showed strong interest at the end of last season, but when that deal didn’t materialise, it was Tottenham who looked to have the signing of the Englishman sealed.
In the end, though, Nuno Espírito Santo helped convince Gibbs-White to stay. However, behind the scenes, Evangelos Marinakis had to combat a unique proposal to keep hold of his star man.
Morgan Gibbs-White had interest outside of England
Described as a record deal for the club, Gibbs-White now earns £150k per week at Forest, comfortably making him the highest-paid player in City Ground history.
However, he could’ve been earning significantly more if he had exited the club, as the riches of Saudi Arabia were circling the England international.
According to Ben Jacobs, Al-Ahli had enquired about Gibbs-White before the transfer window opened, but Marinakis must’ve swiftly rejected it as the interest seemed to go no further.
Of course, Champions League football would’ve been the main selling point of a move to either City or Spurs, but it would’ve been interesting to see if the significant financial incentive of a switch to the Saudi Pro League would’ve been something that Gibbs-White seriously considered.
It seems unlikely, though, as a move to the Middle East could’ve seriously impacted his chances of starring for England next summer.
Morgan Gibbs-White wouldn’t ruin England World Cup chances
Gibbs-White has now featured four times for England, having made his debut under Lee Carsley in 2024. It’s fair to say that he hasn’t made a lasting impression on the squad yet, though, with Thomas Tuchel less than a year away from picking his World Cup group.
Tuchel hasn’t been convinced by Gibbs-White yet in his cameo appearances, competing with some of the nation’s top stars for minutes in that attacking midfield role.
Therefore, moving out to the Middle East wouldn’t have done him any favours as he would’ve been away from the manager’s thinking while others continued to perform in top European leagues.
Tuchel has shown that he will consider players in the Saudi Pro League when he picked Ivan Toney in his latest squad, but given the competition in Gibbs-White’s role, he’ll need to have a stellar season with Forest in the Premier League and Europe to catch the German’s eye.
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