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Man City advancing on deal for De Bruyne replacement
Manchester City are stepping up their interest in Morgan Gibbs-White according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. City are known to be looking to fill the massive boots of the outgoing Kevin De Bruyne, who has confirmed his departure from the club when his contract expires this summer.
It seems they have now identified their top target, with Romano reporting that City are planning to advance on the deal soon.
Romano posted on X: “Manchester City plan to advance on Morgan Gibbs-White deal in the next weeks as he remains one of the priority targets. No issues are expected on personal terms but work to do with Nottingham Forest as they still hope to keep MGW.”
Gibbs-White has seen his stock rise over the last few seasons, pulling the strings as the main man in a Forest side looking to qualify for the Champions League. It would be a tremendous feat for the club, who haven’t been in Europe’s elite competition since 1980, when they were defending champions in what was then called the European Cup.
They would go on to defend their crown, defeating Hamburg 1-0 in the final. Nuno Espirito’s men are dreaming of a return to Europe’s top tournament, and are currently 6th in the table and three points off the final Champions League place. They do have a game in hand, though, and can draw level on points with 5th-place Chelsea should they beat Palace on Monday night.
City advance on Gibbs-White
The form of Gibbs-White is one of the main factors in Forest’s rise up the table this season. He’s bagged five goals and seven assists this season but his contributions go far beyond the numbers. His guile and creativity allows Forest to hurt teams on the counter, despite his side usually conceding the majority of the possession.
Forest in fact have the joint lowest average possession stat (39.2%) in the Premier League alongside relegated Ipswich, but manage to counter attack with devastating effect. Gibbs-White’s ability to spread the ball quickly and break the lines to get his team away in transition has empowered wingers Anthony Elanga and Calum Hudson-Odoi to enjoy their most fruitful campaigns.
The England playmaker won’t come cheap, with TalkSport reporting Forest could demand upwards of £100million for his signature. The figure has not been confirmed but it is certain that Forest will want to make a profit on the £25m plus they spent to sign him from Wolves in 2022.
The 25-year-old has gone on to make 110 appearances in all competition, scoring 16 goals and assisting 27.
Gibbs-White to replace De Bruyne
City will be looking to rebuild after what has been an indifferent season by their lofty standards. Miles off the Premier League title race and losing to Real Madrid in the playoff round of this season’s new formatted Champions League, Pep Guardiola will have his work cut out for him this summer.
Rumours of a clear out at the club have surfaced with question marks hanging over the futures of several key men including Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, and Ederson.
The midfield in particular is set for a massive overhaul and Gibbs-White would likely slot straight in alongside long term absentee Rodri who will be back to full fitness for next season.
