Morgan Gibbs-White targeted to replace Kevin De Bruyne as Man City transfer plan emerges

Kevin De Bruyne is due to leave Manchester City at the end of the season after a decade at the Etihad Stadium, with Morgan Gibbs-White one of those in consideration to replace him

Manchester City’s search for a long-term Kevin De Bruyne replacement has seen them target Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White, it has been claimed. The 25-year-old has played a big role in Forest’s Champions League push this season, but isn’t the only man on City’s radar.

De Bruyne is due to leave City at the end of the season, having spent a decade at the Etihad Stadium. Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz is among the potential replacements, but Gibbs-White is understood to be an option if new sporting director Hugo Viana decides to look closer to home.

The Forest star, who moved to the City Ground for a club-record fee in the summer of 2022, has five goals and seven assists to his name this season. One of those assists came against Pep Guardiola’s side in March, when Callum Hudson-Odoi scored the only goal of the game.

According to The Athletic, City are yet to decide whether to seek a like-for-like replacement for De Bruyne from elsewhere or make use of the current personnel at the club. The same publication indicates any decision will wait until Viana gets his feet under the table, having officially begun work this week as he takes over from Txiki Begiristain.

If they opt for the former, though, Gibbs-White is an option. Both he and Wirtz are out of contract in 2027, though the German international – more than three years Gibbs-White’s junior – is expected to command a nine-figure fee.

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Gibbs-White was part of England’s Under-17 World Cup winning squad in 2017, along with current team-mate Hudson-Odoi and City star Phil Foden. He has been made to wait longer for a senior opportunity, but made his debut under Lee Carsley and earned plaudits from new boss Thomas Tuchel for his reaction to being initially left out of rht German’s first squad.

“Morgan is an amazing character, I have to say,” said Tuchel, who brought the playmaker into the fold after an injury to Cole Palmer. “I’m happy he is with us.

“He deserves a lot of praise because first of all how he took the first disappointment when he got my call that he [was] not in the squad. He handled it very well, because when he got the second call he was straight away excited and didn’t take it personally.”

De Bruyne, meanwhile, has yet to decide on his next move. The Athletic reports that Inter Miami hold the Belgian’s discovery rights for Major League Soccer – giving them first refusal if the player opts to head stateside – but he could yet continue his career elsewhere.

The Designated Player rule in MLS means he could only join the club outside the salary cap if one of the current trio of Designated Players – Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba or Sergio Busquets – either leaves the club or signs a new deal on reduced terms.

There is also reported interest in Europe and Saudi Arabia when it comes to De Bruyne’s future. While his contract expiry at City means clubs won’t have to pay a fee, his wages could be prohibitive after he was among the Premier League’s highest-earners for much of his time in Manchester.

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