Morgan Gibbs-White new contract: Tottenham Hotspur transfer off as Nottingham Forest star signs new deal in Thomas Frank blow

Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White has signed a new contract to stay at the City Ground until 2028, news that has ended speculation he could sign for Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs supporters' faith in the team had been building this summer, with the additions of players like Mohammed Kudus boosting manager Thomas Frank's squad.

The head coach may have expected to have welcomed Forest attacker Gibbs-White into the club given they had activated his £60m release clause.

However, the deal stalled after the Garibaldi threatened to complain to the Premier League about grievances over the breach of a confidentiality agreement regarding his buyout clause.

Now any transfer to Tottenham appears to be off after Forest announced on their website that Gibbs-White had signed fresh terms.

What next for Tottenham and Frank after Gibbs-White blow?

Gibbs-White would have added considerably to Tottenham's squad given he possesses many technical and athletic qualities, but there is an argument that he should not have been a priority.

The Forest attacker prefers to operate in a central position, but Spurs forwards James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Kudus are capable of playing behind a striker.

Kudus and Kulusevski in particular profile similarly to Gibbs-White in terms of athleticism, and perhaps the Londoners can now use the funds they would have committed to the Englishman elsewhere.

Tottenham conceded 65 times last season in the Premier League and finished 17th, and the team would almost certainly benefit from further defensive additions.

Is Gibbs-White's deal a victory for the rest of the Premier League?

Nottingham Forest have already sold Anthony Elanga this summer, but the fact they have kept hold of arguably their best player will be a welcome boost to boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

Keeping the 25-year-old could also represent a boost to many of the other sides in the Premier League, providing hope that clubs can resist the pressure to sell their stars to the richest teams in the division.

Bournemouth lost Milos Kerkez to Liverpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers sold Matheus Cunha to Manchester United and a number of other players have also joined the league's elite.

The ability to retain key stars could help the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest challenge the teams in the top half of the table.

Written by
Lewis Nolan