The future of Morgan Gibbs-White for the upcoming season has been decided.
The England international has penned new terms with Nottingham Forest, which has ended any speculation over his future after the midfielder was linked with several Premier League clubs this summer.
It looked at one point that Gibbs-White was certain to be a Man City player for the 25/26 campaign, only for Pep Guardiola to add Rayan Cherki to his squad instead.
That opened the door for Tottenham to sign Gibbs-White, but after Nottingham Forest submitted a complaint about Spurs’ approach, that caused the deal to collapse, with the 25-year-old signing a new contract at the Midlands club until 2028.
This could be history repeating itself for Manchester City, as a similar situation played out in 2021 before the Manchester club acquired the services of Jack Grealish.
- READ MORE: Man City fans are all saying the same thing after Morgan Gibbs-White signs new Nottingham Forest contract
Morgan Gibbs-White could follow in Jack Grealish’s footsteps
In September 2020, Grealish signed a new five-year deal with Aston Villa to end the speculation linking him with a move to Manchester United and Arsenal.
A year later, Man City finalised a deal to sign the winger for £100m, which is a situation that could play out again next summer with Gibbs-White.
If the England international impresses again during the 25/26 season, perhaps reaching double figures for goals and assists, but Nottingham Forest cannot replicate what they did last term, it is hard to see the 25-year-old remaining at the City Ground.
Gibbs-White had a £60m release clause in his old contract, and if Man City are to move for the midfielder next summer, they will likely have to spend more than this.
A transfer in 2026 could make a lot of sense for Guardiola, as Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva will very likely leave the Manchester club, while the sale of Mateo Kovacic would be on the agenda with just a year left on his current contract.
This will leave City short in the middle of the park, and with Gibbs-White being able to play in multiple roles, this would be a big advantage for Guardiola.
How Morgan Gibbs-White compares to Man City midfielders
Gibbs-White is not like any midfielder Man City currently have, as the Nottingham Forest star has a good combination of versatility and physicality, which Guardiola loves.
Gundogan is the closest comparison, as the German is a natural centre midfielder who can play as a 10 and is very effective in and around the box, while there are also similarities with new signing Tijjani Reijnders.
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Morgan Gibbs-White | 38 | 7 | 10 |
| Ilkay Gundogan | 54 | 5 | 8 |
| Bernardo Silva | 52 | 6 | 5 |
| Tijjani Reijnders | 57 | 15 | 5 |
| Mateo Kovacic | 42 | 7 | 3 |
The signings of the Dutch star and Cherki covered everything Gibbs-White can do; therefore, there was no need to sign the 25-year-old this summer.
However, if there is a mass exodus of midfielders next summer, the Nottingham Forest star would be a great addition to Guardiola’s squad, so long as the price is right.
