On July 10, 2025, Fabrizio Romano reported that Tottenham Hotspur are set to sign Morgan Gibbs-White. Nine months later, he has pushed Spurs further towards relegation.
Spurs needed a big transfer window last summer and started well by signing Mohammed Kudus. Soon after, it was reported that they had triggered Gibbs-White’s release clause worth £60 million. This showed some rare ambition on the part of the Tottenham board.
However, it all failed after Nottingham alleged that the clause in the midfielder’s contract was confidential. They accused Spurs of breaking the rules by contacting him, and Gibbs-White eventually signed a new contract at Forest after a crucial intervention from Evangelos Marinakis.
Gibbs-White treble deepens Tottenham’s relegation misery
Tottenham failed to sign Gibbs-White last summer and didn’t even manage a replacement. Incidentally, both Spurs and Nottingham Forest find themselves in a relegation battle in the Premier League this season.
On Sunday, the England international scored a hat-trick to help Forest beat Burnley 4-1 at the City Ground. This extended their lead over 18th-placed Spurs to five points. While not many were expecting Burnley to win, it provides a perfect storyline for Gibbs-White to be the one to secure the win for Forest.
Moreover, the English midfielder hasn’t just tormented Tottenham by scoring against other sides. He also put in excellent performances against them in both their clashes this season. Nottingham won both games 3-0, with Gibbs-White scoring at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Overall, he has scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 48 games across competitions for Nottingham this season. They have also reached the Europa League semi-finals, where they will face Aston Villa over two legs.
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Hence, it’s tough not to wonder what would have happened had Spurs been able to sign Gibbs-White last summer. Would they have still been in the relegation battle? Would Nottingham have fared better than them up to this point of the season?
Gibbs-White one of numerous Tottenham recruitment blunders
Plenty of transfers across the football world break down, and it is normal. However, what is not normal is a club not having a backup plan for a potential failed transfer.
Tottenham attempted to sign Gibbs-White before James Maddison got injured. Hence, it’s clear they looked at his profile differently than Maddison. They didn’t make any attempt to sign an alternative until the former Leicester City star’s ACL injury.
Even then, they made an embarrassing attempt to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace. However, he chose their arch-rivals Arsenal, showing improper planning and panic from the board. They eventually signed Xavi Simons, who is still finding his feet in the Premier League.
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However, they still didn’t sign someone with a similar profile to Gibbs-White, i.e., someone who can play as an advanced #8. Tottenham’s terrible recruitment strategy and execution have now put them on the verge of relegation.
