Tottenham were seemingly closing in on the signing of Morgan Gibbs-White earlier this month but the Nottingham Forest star has now signed a record contract to stay put
Morgan Gibbs-White has officially committed his future to Nottingham Forest – just weeks after the attacking midfielder looked all but certain to join Tottenham.
News broke earlier this month that Spurs had triggered a £60million release clause in the 25-year-old’s contract. However, Forest were left angered by what they considered to be an illegal approach from their Premier League rivals for one of their most influential stars.
Gibbs-White has since played for Forest in pre-season as all talk of finalising said move to Spurs went quiet.
And the club have now confirmed that Gibbs-White has signed a club-record three-year deal, putting an end to speculation over the midfielder’s future.
A video showing Gibbs-White and Evangelos Marinakis, the club’s owner, was posted online to announce the news. But some mischievous fans have quipped that the Forest star looked like a ‘hostage’ in said video.
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One social media user joked: “Nothing like a hostage video with your captor standing beside you so you don’t cry for help! #FreeGibbsWhite”. Another poster quipped: “Gibbs-White fake smiling with his owner after being held hostage at Forest just like Olise at Palace.”
A third football fan said cheekily: “A lot of interesting moments throughout this transfer window. Obviously United’s chase of players, Liverpool splashing huge cash, Arsenal always in the news, the Isak situation & a lot more. But I didn’t expect a Morgan Gibbs-White hostage video. Never a dull moment”.
Despite the jokes from fans, Gibbs-White said that he was ‘excited’ for what’s next at Forest after the club qualified for Europe last season.
Speaking to the club’s official website, he said: “I’ve felt at home at Forest from the moment I arrived. The support from the fans, my teammates, and everyone around the club has been unbelievable.
“I believe in what we’re building here – and with the backing of Mr Marinakis and the enormous ambition he has, I want to be part of making something special. I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Forest owner Marinakis, who posed with Gibbs-White in photos celebrating the new contract, said: “Morgan is a special player – not just in terms of talent, but character and mentality. He represents everything we want this football club to be: he is a winner, talented, ambitious, fearless, and proud.
“There was significant interest from various clubs, but we were determined to build our future with Morgan at the heart of it. I promised our fans we would not only compete, but grow stronger and stronger every season. Today is another big step in that journey.”
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