‘Somebody leaked it’ – Gibbs-White deal takes twist after Tottenham move blocked
Morgan Gibbs-White has been tipped to end up at Tottenham by the end of the transfer window.
Gibbs-White was set to join Spurs after the North London club triggered the £60million release clause in his Nottingham Forest contract.
However, Forest blocked the move as they claim that Thomas Frank’s side made an illegal approach to their midfielder.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis insists that the £60m release clause was confidential, and that Tottenham have broken rules to obtain knowledge of it.
However, Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that the deal will still go through, and Gibbs-White will end the summer as a Spurs player.
‘Forest cannot prove Tottenham wrongdoing’
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted that unless there’s a “smoking gun”, Nottingham Forest will struggle to prove that Tottenham have done anything wrong.
The hierarchy at the City Ground believe that they may have received more lucrative bids for Gibbs-White if information around the release clause hadn’t been disclosed.
Wyness added that he understands Forest’s point of view, but it is “not how football works”.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “This really did surprise me because I have been in the situation many times when a player’s release clause was known to the potential buying club.
“I wouldn’t say nine times out of 10, I’d say 10 times out of 10, it’s come from the agent because he has access to the player’s contract, he knows the numbers.
“It was something that I would never have thought about, suing over a confidentiality clause. I accepted it as part of the game, and I put that clause in because it was a number that I was happy with.
“In Morgan Gibbs-White’s case, I understand he had refused a contract extension, and in that contract extension I’m sure that release clause would have gone up, supposedly from £60m probably to £80m or £90m.
“However, that wasn’t the case and he did refuse the contract extension, which tells Forest something to a degree that he didn’t want to be there and that he does want to move.
“This whole idea of breaking a confidentiality clause, it’s very difficult because, I suppose Forest would think, okay, if we can keep this confidential, then the bid that comes in will be above the release clause, i.e., we could get a bid for £65m or £70m.
“I get that point of view, but that’s not the way football works. The reality is that they’re going to have to prove that somebody leaked the release clause. Unless there’s a smoking gun, the agent with emails telling people what the number was and breaking confidentiality, I think it’s going to get done and he’ll end up at Spurs.”
Forest lead race for Villa star
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest are the current front-runners in their pursuit of Aston Villa star Jacob Ramsey despite growing interest from rival clubs, sources have told Football Insider.
Forest are facing competition from the likes of Everton, who are planning an ambitious move for the midfielder as they aim to bolster David Moyes’ squad.
Football Insider exclusively revealed on 18 July that Aston Villa could accept £50million for Ramsey, with Gibbs-White’s exit potentially facilitating the move.
Forest would be prepared to move ahead of rivals for his signature, with the allure of European football and willingness to spend big giving them an advantage.
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