Exclusive: Nottingham Forest eye Leicester’s El Khannouss as Gibbs-White replacement
Nottingham Forest are eyeing a move for Leicester City attacking midfielder Bilal El Khannouss as a potential replacement for Tottenham target Morgan Gibbs-White, sources have told Football Insider.
The Moroccan international has been capped 21 times for his nation and was one of the few shining lights in a dismal Foxes side last season.
El Khannouss appeared 36 times in all competitions for Leicester last season, scoring three and assisting five, but it was not enough to keep Ruud van Nistelrooy‘s side in the Premier League.
Tottenham made a bid of £60million for Gibbs-White recently, triggering the 25-year-old’s release clause, but negotiations have been halted after Forest claimed Spurs made an illegal approach to the England international.
However, with plenty of clubs eyeing a move for the former Wolves man and his release clause now public knowledge, the Tricky Trees may struggle to keep hold of their star man.
Morgan Gibbs-White tough to replace
Losing Gibbs-White if, but more likely when, it happens, will be a huge blow for Nuno Espirito Santo.
The ex-Wolves attacking midfielder has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most consistently brilliant number 10s.
Gibbs-White registered seven goals and eight assists last season, but his impact on the pitch far extended past his goal involvements.
The England international’s ability to manoeuvre through congested spaces and set the tempo of Forest’s attacks have been a large part of the reason that the Nottingham-based side qualified for Europe last season, rather than being involved in a relegation battle.
Those talents have been recognised by a Tottenham team desperate to avoid another embarrassing Premier League campaign after finishing 17th last season, but Gibbs-White will be tough to replace for Forest.
Bilal El Khannouss a stellar option for Nottingham Forest
However, whilst he may not have shown up on the radar for many supporters last year, El Khannouss quietly worked his way up the pecking order of many top teams’ target lists.
The Moroccan arrived from the Belgian side Genk last summer and, despite Van Nistelrooy’s side completely capitulating, was quietly impressive in the 2024/25 campaign.
The young attacking midfielder has previously been linked with a move to Arsenal, whilst West Ham and Sunderland are also in the race for the Leicester star [Leicester Mercury].
El Khannouss offers similar dribbling capabilities to Gibbs-White, and whilst his end product needs work to get up to the level of the England internationals, at 21 years old, the Moroccan has plenty of room for growth.