‘Nottingham Forest given Morgan Gibbs-White warning’: ‘Impossible task’
Nottingham Forest have been issued a warning regarding Morgan Gibbs-White as they strive to book a Champions League spot.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men must beat Chelsea on Sunday, 25 May, to finish in the top five, and also need either Aston Villa or Newcastle United to slip up.
The City Ground outfit successfully defeated West Ham United 2-1 at the London Stadium last time out, having previously endured a three-game winless streak in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Gibbs-White has been a key man for Forest this term, having notched seven goals and eight assists in the top flight.
Forest set to struggle to find Gibbs-White replacement
Thanks to his strong performances in the East Midlands, the England international has attracted transfer interest from Manchester City.
Meanwhile, responding to a question on The Athletic’s live Q&A blog [23 May], Paul Taylor wrote: “If MGW does move on, they would definitely need to replace him… and, without exaggeration, that could be an almost impossible task. There are not too many players like him out there.”
| Morgan Gibbs-White stats | Premier League 2024/25 |
| Appearances | 33 |
| Goals | 7 |
| Assists | 8 |
If Gibbs-White does choose to leave Forest this summer, he can hand Espirito Santo’s men a parting gift by helping them land Champions League football.
Forest tipped to target Fulham boss Marco Silva
Espirito Santo has enjoyed a largely successful campaign in the City Ground dugout and has taken Forest to the brink of the Champions League, having overseen a relegation battle just last season.
But despite that, there is clear tension between the former Wolves boss and Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis following their bust-up after the 2-2 draw with local rivals Leicester City on 11 May.
Espirito Santo’s men responded well to that setback by earning a hard-fought 2-1 win at West Ham last time out, with goals arriving from Gibbs-White and Nikola Milenkovic, who has shone in defence this term.
Meanwhile, Marinakis has been tipped to make a move for Fulham’s Marco Silva if Espirito Santo leaves the City Ground this summer.
Silva has overseen a successful stint at Craven Cottage, having established them as a strong Premier League outfit since winning the Championship title back in 2022.
However, the City Ground faithful would likely be gutted to see the back of Espirito Santo regardless of who his potential replacement is.