Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White remains on Manchester City’s transfer “shortlist” as they seek a replacement for Kevin De Bruyne.
City’s significant interest in Gibbs-White has been known for some time. The beaten FA Cup finalists are expected to test the Reds’ resolve to hang on to their star player this summer.
De Bruyne’s departure has left manager Pep Guardiola with a significant void to fill at the Etihad Stadium, and a number of options are being considered. Gibbs-White is among them, but he is not the only one.
In a potential boost to Forest’s hopes of keeping the England international, a new name is in the frame to link up with City. Lyon’s Rayan Cherki is said to be on the club’s radar.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano said on X: “Manchester City are interested in Rayan Cherki and informed on exit costs details. He’s on the shortlist with Morgan Gibbs-White also still there, two names highly rated at Man City Cherki, one more idea.”
According to The Telegraph, Cherki has confirmed he will depart Lyon this summer. The 21-year-old reportedly has a £20-25 million release clause in his contract - a fee significantly cheaper than would be required to prise Gibbs-White away from the banks of the Trent.
City had previously been keen on Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz to fill De Bruyne’s boots. However, a move for the German is said to have been ruled out due to the “costs of a deal”.
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Forest have no desire to let Gibbs-White go and are not under pressure to sell. But there is still a question mark over whether the 25-year-old has played his final game in the Garibaldi.
It has been claimed a potential swap deal involving the playmaker and City’s Matheus Nunes could be in the offing. Reds head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is said to have the latter on his transfer wish list, leaving the midfielder as a “useful bargaining chip” for his club in any attempt to land Gibbs-White.
The transfer window opens for Premier League clubs on Sunday (June 1) and will remain open until June 10. It will then close for a short time before reopening on June 16 and closing on September 1. The creation of a mini window this year is due to what the Premier League have described as “an exceptional registration period relating to the FIFA Club World Cup”.
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