What Morgan Gibbs-White just told Nottingham Forest about his Tottenham transfer

Morgan Gibbs-White has made his intentions clear to Nottingham Forest regarding his proposed move to Tottenham Hotspur, despite the club’s ongoing efforts to block the transfer.

As Forest attempt to delay or prevent the deal, Gibbs-White has informed club owner Evangelos Marinakis of his strong desire to join Spurs this summer, intensifying an already contentious situation between both clubs.

Tottenham triggered the midfielder’s £60 million release clause last week and had already scheduled a medical for the England international at Hotspur Way.

However, the process came to an abrupt halt after Nottingham Forest filed a formal legal complaint against Spurs.

Forest allege that Tottenham made an illegal approach by engaging with the player or his representatives without prior consent from the club.

Their central argument hinges on how Spurs became aware of the release clause in Gibbs-White’s contract, a detail Forest claim was confidential.

Despite this legal challenge, Gibbs-White has continued to report for pre-season training under manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

But behind the scenes, he has delivered a firm message to the Forest hierarchy—he wants the move. According to sources close to the situation, Gibbs-White has already spoken directly to Marinakis, expressing his determination to take the next step in his career by playing Champions League football and working under Tottenham’s newly appointed manager, Thomas Frank.

For the 25-year-old, this opportunity represents a significant step up in both status and ambition, and his mind appears made up.

Marinakis, however, is reportedly infuriated—not just by Gibbs-White’s stance, but by the fact that Tottenham, rather than Europe’s elite clubs like Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, or Liverpool, are leading the race for his star midfielder.

There’s a sense that Forest’s owner feels his prized asset deserves to be courted by a higher echelon of teams. Nonetheless, Spurs remain confident.

From their perspective, they’ve met the financial terms outlined in the release clause, and the player’s willingness to move leaves Forest with little legal ground to prevent the transfer from ultimately going through.

For Forest, the challenge now appears more symbolic than strategic. While their legal claim may delay the inevitable, there is growing internal recognition that stopping the move outright is unlikely.

According to The Athletic, Forest understand that their case is unlikely to block the deal altogether but believe it’s important to signal to supporters that the club did not roll over without resistance.

The idea is to project strength and show that Forest won’t allow their top talent to leave without a fight, particularly when fan reaction has been overwhelmingly negative since the news of Gibbs-White’s departure broke.

The fans’ anger is understandable. Gibbs-White has been one of Forest’s most important players since his arrival, and losing him to a domestic rival hurts. But for Marinakis, publicly opposing the deal, even if unsuccessfully, may help mitigate some of that frustration.

By taking a legal stand, the club sends a message to its supporters that it values its players and is prepared to push back against what it perceives as overreach from a more powerful Premier League rival.

In the end, however, it seems likely that Morgan Gibbs-White will get his wish. Tottenham’s interest is serious, the financial offer meets contractual terms, and the player himself has made it clear where he wants to be.

What remains is for both clubs to resolve the final details—and for Forest to manage the optics of losing their best player in the middle of a pivotal summer rebuild.