Morgan Gibbs-White was a top target for Manchester City this summer.
Heading into the current summer transfer window, Pep Guardiola was keen to add four to five new players to his squad, and Gibbs-White was one of the legendary coach’s targets for the number eight role in his midfield.
However, a deal for the Nottingham Forest star would never materialise, with Man City completing the signing of Tijjani Reijnders last week instead, with the Dutch star arriving at a cheaper cost.
Guardiola was spotted having a discussion with Gibbs-White after Man City defeated Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi-final in April; however, a new report states that the talks did not stop there.
Pep Guardiola shakes the hand of Morgan Gibbs-White after Nottingham Forest v Manchester City.
Photo by Matt Lewis – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Pep Guardiola met with Morgan Gibbs-White in Wembley tunnel
After that exchange at Wembley, many fans, pundits, and journalists were certain Gibbs-White would be a Man City player for the 2025/26 campaign; however, a new report has detailed why the move never happened.
According to the Daily Mail, Man City were in a rush to recruit a new number eight ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup and with the Manchester club not willing to pay Nottingham Forest’s £70m asking price, they knew negotiations with their owner, Evangelos Marinakis, were unlikely to run smoothly.
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“Guardiola’s on-pitch chats with opposition players have always got people talking, and with the television cameras following him, the Manchester City boss approached Gibbs-White soon after Forest’s defeat in the FA Cup semi-final on April 27,” Tom Collomosse wrote for the Daily Mail.
“There was a handshake, a hug and a word in the ear for the England international. It is understood that Guardiola also spoke to Gibbs-White in the tunnel.
“For those who knew of City’s strong interest in Gibbs-White, it seemed to be the clinching piece of evidence that the 25-year-old would be on his way to Etihad Stadium this summer.
Morgan Gibbs-White celebrates during Nottingham Forest v Manchester City.
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
“There are suggestions they baulked at Forest’s asking price of at least £70m. And with the Club World Cup around the corner, City needed reinforcements quickly; negotiations with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis were unlikely to run smoothly.”
Despite signing Reijnders, Man City have still been linked to midfield targets, and only time will tell if the Manchester club make a move for Gibbs-White before the summer window shuts.
Morgan Gibbs-White is still open to Man City move
Hugo Viana has been a fan of Gibbs-White for some time now and will be pleased to know that the midfielder still wants to join Man City ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
The Daily Mail reports that the Nottingham Forest star is still open to joining City, where he would link up with his close friend Phil Foden, while working with Guardiola and fighting for trophies is also a big attraction for the England star.
The Forest midfielder is coming off the back of a brilliant season, but unfortunately for the 25-year-old, he is no longer needed at the Etihad Stadium following the arrival of both Reijnders and Rayan Cherki.
Exits for the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva may change this, but with both of those now unlikely to leave as well, Gibbs-White may need to consider another option if he is to leave Nottingham Forest over the coming weeks.