Here we go again.
Seven months after the most chaotic non-transfer of the summer, Tottenham are back circling Morgan Gibbs-White. And this time, according to TEAMtalk, they're not alone: Newcastle want in too.
The summer saga that nearly killed a transfer
Cast your mind back to July. Spurs had identified Gibbs-White as the marquee signing to kickstart the Thomas Frank era. A £60m release clause existed. Simple enough, right?
Wrong. Nottingham Forest threatened legal action, claiming Tottenham breached a confidentiality clause by making the release figure public. The whole deal collapsed. Gibbs-White, somewhat unexpectedly, signed a new contract at the City Ground until 2028. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis called him "a winner, talented, ambitious, fearless, and proud" in the club's official announcement.
That was supposed to be the end of it. Clearly not.
Why Spurs need him more than ever
Frank's Tottenham is broken. There's no other way to put it. Eight defeats in 14 matches. The worst home win percentage of any permanent Spurs manager in the Premier League era. Fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium chanting "sacked in the morning" while walking out before half-time against West Ham.
The creative void is glaring. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski remain sidelined, leaving Xavi Simons to carry too much of the burden. Frank himself admitted to TNT Sports this week: "As a football coach, you want to win matches – and we're not at the moment."
Gibbs-White would address the hole directly. Five goals, one assist in 21 Premier League appearances this season. Not spectacular numbers, sure, but his energy and pressing intensity fit what Frank built at Brentford. The profile makes sense. The timing, however, is awful.
Forest's desperation changes everything
Here's the twist nobody saw coming: Nottingham Forest are in freefall.
After finishing seventh last season and qualifying for Europe, they've burned through three managers (Nuno, Ange Postecoglou, now Sean Dyche) and sit 17th, seven points clear of the relegation zone. The Europa League run continues but the league form is dire. Financial pressures are mounting. The £60m valuation from the summer? Good luck getting that now.
Forest won't sell in January – Dyche needs every available body – but come summer, the equation looks different. If relegation becomes a genuine threat, even Marinakis might accept a lower figure to protect the balance sheet.
Newcastle's angle
Eddie Howe's side present a more stable destination. Still sixth in the table. Still pushing for European football. And crucially, still flush with ambition after selling Miguel Almiron to Atlanta United and Lloyd Kelly's Juventus loan becoming permanent.
Gibbs-White fits what Howe wants: an attacking midfielder who can link play and drive forward. Sources close to St James' Park have indicated Newcastle view him as the type of profile missing since Bruno Guimarães became more of a deep-lying controller.
The Magpies have been scouting him for months. They're patient. They have the funds. And unlike Spurs, they're not managing a crisis while trying to rebuild.
What happens next
Gibbs-White isn't moving this month. That much is clear. But from May onwards, expect the phones to ring.
Tottenham remain admirers – TEAMtalk confirms he's on their summer shortlist – but their credibility with Forest is damaged. Newcastle represents the safer option for all parties. Manchester United have also been linked (Gibbs-White grew up a Red Devils fan, idolising Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes) while Chelsea monitor from distance.
The 25-year-old England international has done enough to prove he belongs at a bigger club. The question is which one will finally close the deal that Spurs fumbled so spectacularly last summer.
