Morgan Gibbs-White is one of Nottingham Forest’s most important players, and keeping hold of him amidst concrete interest from Tottenham was one of the best bits of business the club has done.
While eight new signings have arrived, the renewal of Gibbs-White’s contract excited fans in the same way as an announcement of a new addition would.
It all seemed like the midfielder’s time at the City Ground was over when Spurs seemingly activated Gibbs-White’s release clause, and the player reportedly wanted the move.
However, after some drama, with Evangelos Marinakis being unhappy with how the transfer played out, as well as threats of going to court, the Forest player opted to stay, signing a deal until 2028.
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Details surrounding the move and the reasons behind him staying have now come out from the 25-year-old himself.
Morgan Gibbs-White says his ambition led him to want Tottenham move
It was one of the many sagas of the transfer window, but when Morgan Gibbs-White put pen to paper on a new Nottingham Forest deal, it was a major surprise.
It all looked like the player had his mind set on making the move to London, but when Evangelos Marinakis stepped in, he opted to renew.
Morgan Gibbs-White has now come out and said his ambitions were what led to initial interest in making the move.
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Speaking to TalkSPORT, the midfielder said, “I feel like every footballer has personal goals and personal ambitions that they want to achieve. Mine’s winning trophies, playing in the World Cup, playing in the Euros, and playing Champions League football. Just to be able to reach the maximum that I’m able to reach.”
Of course, after winning last season’s Europa League, Tottenham Hotspur were able to match his ambition of playing Champions League football.
However, there is no reason Forest couldn’t also help him reach most of his goals.
Nottingham Forest need to try and meet Morgan Gibbs-White’s ambitions
The announcement of Gibbs-White’s new contract said it was a “statement of intent” and now the club needs to show that intent.
While the strength of the teams ahead of them could make it difficult for Nottingham Forest to secure Champions League football, they can still provide on the trophies front.
The club are in four competitions, and after adding eight quality additions, the squad is in a great place, even if Nuno would still like more arrivals.
Last season, the club got to the FA Cup semi-final, and there is no reason they couldn’t try to go one step further.
Additionally, the Europa League presents another chance for silverware to return to the City Ground, and if they can win that, they will have provided Gibbs-White with his dream of playing Champions League football.
The club’s last major trophy was back in 1990, winning the League Cup, and there is a real opportunity to end that drought this season.