Nottingham Forest tipped to ‘agree rare swap deal due to PSR rules’
Nottingham Forest are considering a move to sign James McAtee from Man City and could agree a rare swap deal to alleviate financial issues.
The Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules are expected to limit the club’s spending in the upcoming window unless players can be sold to raise funds.
This comes as Football Insider revealed on 29 April that McAtee is considering quitting Man City for Forest in an attempt to kickstart his career with more regular football.
Now, former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, speaking to Football Insider, has tipped the sides to agree a potential swap deal including Morgan Gibbs-White.
While rare, a potential swap would allow the opportunity for both clubs to benefit, with City paying cash plus their player for Forest’s star man.
Football Insider revealed on 10 May that Gibbs-White is keen to join City and play under Pep Guardiola, and Forest may be powerless to stop the move.
James McAtee and Gibbs-White swap mooted at Nottingham Forest
Brown told Football Insider that McAtee will not be a Man City player next season, with Forest joining the list of clubs keeping tabs on his situation.
He has also attracted interest from a number of Premier League clubs including the likes of West Ham and Crystal Palace, which could make the move difficult.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Robinson explained that a swap deal would benefit both clubs financially, but there are plenty of hurdles to overcome before such a move can be agreed upon.
“There’s interest from Forest in James McAtee,” he told Football Insider.
“We know swap deals are notoriously hard to do, especially in English football.
“It’s more prevalent we see swap deals happen in European football.
“But maybe it’s a swap deal that could help both clubs out due to PSR and FFP, if it was to come to that.
“McAtee will have a lot of interest from other clubs as well, it won’t be a straightforward race for Nottingham Forest if Man City do let him go this summer.
“If City were to bring in Florian Wirtz, I don’t think they’d be able to bring in Gibbs-White as well.
“So a lot could depend on whether that deal happens.”
Harvey Elliott emerges as potential Gibbs-White replacement
Alongside McAtee, Forest have begun identifying a number of targets to potentially replace Gibbs-White as Man City’s interest continues to grow.
Football Insider revealed on 9 May that Liverpool’s Harvey Elliot is on Forest’s radar and they could make a move if they lose their star man.
Arne Slot will make a decision about the 22-year-old’s future at Anfield over the summer, with a number of clubs keeping tabs on his situation.
Meanwhile, Brown told Football Insider that Elliott is a top target for Forest and they could use the funds from Gibbs-White’s exit to fund a deal.
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