When Morgan Gibbs-White was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad at the 2026 World Cup, many audiences were flabbergasted. One of the most effective goalscoring midfielders in the Premier League last season, many saw his disinclusion as a massive shock.
While Tuchel may not recognise the Nottingham Forest star’s talent, the same cannot be said of many recruitment teams in the Premier League. He has been linked with several of the league’s top outfits over the last few weeks.
According to a recent report from CaughtOffside, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all eyeing up a possible transfer for the player. After such a successful season, it should come as no surprise that he is so coveted.
That’s not all – Aston Villa could also be in the race [via Sports Boom] but they will only make an approach if they lose Morgan Rogers. Likewise, Arsenal will only make a move if they fail to snap Rogers up, according to the Metro – as such, a domino effect could be triggered.
On top of this, Champions League winners PSG are interested in his services as well, according to Football Insider. Forest are unwilling to let Gibbs-White join another Premier League club – if they were to let him go, they would be more partial to allow him to join the Parisian giants than anyone else.
Nevertheless, despite the glut of interest, Forest will do everything in their power to keep Gibbs-White at the club. The Trees are not powerless in this situation – despite having missed out on European qualification, they still have plenty of financial resources at their disposal. Additionally, Gibbs-White signed a new contract just last year, though it will expire in the summer of 2028.
Morgan Gibbs-White 2025/26 Premier League stats
Games Goals Assists Yellow Cards Red Cards
M. Gibbs-White 37 15 4 1 0
Last season may have been a depressing one for Forest as a whole, but on an individual level, Gibbs-White was electric. With 15 goals to his name from the heart of midfield, he found the back of the net on more occasions than players such as Cole Palmer, Hugo Ekitike and Viktor Gyokeres.
Only one English player could conjure up more goals and assists than Gibbs-White in the Premier League last season – none other than West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen, who was also left out of England’s World Cup squad.
A supremely talented midfielder with excellent movement off the ball and composure in the box, Gibbs-White draws comparisons to a young Frank Lampard in many ways.
Defensively, Gibbs-White is far from the most astute, but he often doesn’t need to contribute much on this front. So long as the players around him are picking up the slack, Gibbs-White can focus on his strengths.
He’s very adaptable, too. Whilst he generally excels in attacking midfield, he can also function as a central midfielder or on either wing.
Who would benefit the most from Morgan Gibbs-White’s arrival?
Does it need to be said? In comparison to all the other clubs in the conversation, Chelsea and Tottenham are all at sea. Both of them failed to qualify for Europe last season and lack the pulling power of the other teams as a result.
Of course, if Aston Villa lose Morgan Rogers, they are likely to go all in on a move for the Forest star. If not, though, they can be ruled out of the equation.
If Chelsea lose Cole Palmer, they will need to replace him – Gibbs-White would be an excellent way for them to fill the gaps. Tottenham have James Maddison on their books, but his injury record will always raise concerns. After a miserable season, Spurs need to bolster their squad – bringing Gibbs-White on board would be a great way to make a statement of intent.