Saudi Arabia remain big players in the transfer market and have now added a Manchester City target to their list.
Saudi Pro League clubs have a good relationship with Man City, as deals were done recently to bring Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte to the Middle East from Manchester, and this summer, there is interest in several stars in Pep Guardiola’s squad.
Al-Ittihad remain keen on signing Ederson this summer, while Jack Grealish is on the list of several Saudi Pro League clubs, as the winger is expected to leave the Etihad Stadium ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Away from Manchester, Al-Ahli now have a new ‘dream target’ for the summer, and it is a player who was expected to join Man City until very recently.
Al-Ahli are now interested in Morgan Gibbs-White
Heading into the summer transfer window, Morgan Gibbs-White was expected to join Man City this summer as the Englishman was one of Hugo Viana’s top targets.
However, Man City have signed Tijjani Reijnders instead, and that may have paved the way for Al-Ahli to move for the Nottingham Forest star, although the 25-year-old is expected to remain in Europe if he leaves the Premier League club this summer.
According to Ben Jacobs, Al-Ahli have added Gibbs-White to their list of options following the departure of Gabri Veiga to Porto.
The transfer journalist states that the England midfielder is expected to stay in Europe if he leaves Nottingham Forest this summer, but Al-Ahli have already held exploratory talks dating back to May.
No approach or bid has been made to Forest, but Gibbs-White is said to be a “dream target” for Al-Ahli, and as a result, they may be willing to pay huge money for the 25-year-old.
This could be a problem for Man City as there is a world where Gibbs-White could still become a part of Guardiola’s squad.
How Morgan Gibbs-White could still join Man City
Gibbs-White is expected to cost £70m this summer, and so long as that is the price tag Nottingham Forest have on the midfielder, a move to Man City is unlikely to happen.
If that asking price is lowered, there could be a chance, as Ilkay Gundogan may still leave Man City over the coming weeks, while the future of Bernardo Silva remains uncertain.
If not this summer, both will certainly leave the year after, which is a period where Man City may revisit their interest in Gibbs-White, if he has not already made a move to a new club.
A move to Manchester for the England star is certainly not dead just yet, but for this summer, it is looking unlikely given the money City have spent over the last few days.
