Nottingham Forest will want to be ready should Morgan Gibbs-White leave the club, but their number one replacement target looks to have rejected a move to the City Ground.
Manchester City are targeting Gibbs-White in their attempts to revamp their midfield as Kevin De Bruyne departs the club, with Forest knowing that the lure of the former champions will be hard to fight against.
Within the club, Gibbs-White’s teammates expect him to leave this summer to pursue regular Champions League football after Forest just missed out on the top five on the final day of the season.
Work had begun to identify Gibbs-White’s replacement, but a fresh report has seemingly put to bed the possibility of signing one of the top options for the role.
Photo by Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Photo by Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Brutal for Nottingham Forest as James McAtee stance revealed
As far back as the January transfer window, Forest have been keen on James McAtee in what looked to be clever future-proofing by Evangelos Marinakis, preparing for the eventual departure of Gibbs-White with a young, ready-made alternative.
However, according to the Manchester Evening News, McAtee has his heart set on a move further afield this summer.
The report said: “James McAtee is set to leave Manchester City after the club allowed him to represent England this summer at the Under-21 European Championship.
“McAtee is believed to be keen on a move to the Bundesliga, given how he has seen similar players shine in the league and enjoy regular Champions League football.”
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A well-trodden path, even Forest winger Callum Hudson-Odoi spent time in Germany to mixed success, but the likes of Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham have certainly shown McAtee that the Bundesliga can be a stepping-stone to a strong career.
Nottingham Forest must assess their options after McAtee blow
It was thought that McAtee could be included in any Gibbs-White deal between Forest and Man City, but it seems as if Nuno Espírito Santo would struggle to convince the City midfielder to stay in England.
One target at the same club looks to be Matheus Nunes. Forest are keen on Nunes, who would add versatility and industry to the Forest midfield, but perhaps not the creative spark that would be absent if Gibbs-White left.
City are willing to accept a cut-price fee for Nunes to move him on, but a more natural replacement for Forest’s talisman would be Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes.
Forest have eyed up a move for Fernandes already and with McAtee off the cards, the Portuguese star could well be the next best alternative to target in the event of Gibbs-White’s departure.