The inside story of Morgan Gibbs-White’s Nottingham Forest U-turn: How Evangelos Marinakis convinced England star to stay, why owner refused to sell to Tottenham and what happened with the release clause

Towards the end of last season, even Morgan Gibbs-White‘s Nottingham Forest team-mates had given up hope of their talisman staying at the club.

Perhaps it was the constant chatter about interest from Manchester City, followed by the exchanges with Pep Guardiola on the pitch and in the tunnel after City beat Forest in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley in April.

Perhaps it was the sense that – as is natural – Gibbs-White had become a little distracted by City’s admiration for him, causing his form to dip at a crucial time last spring. Gibbs-White is a popular and hugely respected member of the squad and the 25-year-old’s effort and application were never questioned. Still, though, there were some who wanted the matter concluded once and for all.

They had noted how the noise around Gibbs-White had affected Forest, who slipped out of the Champions League spots in the final weeks of last season, and did not want the matter stretching into the early part of the summer. Drag on it did – but with a finale nobody in the squad or among the supporters expected. It has probably surprised even boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

On July 10, Tottenham thought they had activated a £60million release clause in Gibbs-White’s contract and even organised a medical for him. Just 16 days later, the England midfielder had signed a new three-year deal with Forest making him the highest-paid player in the club’s history, more than doubling his £60,000-a-week salary, and it is understood they will consider making him full-time captain.

A remarkable U-turn – yet in the world of Evangelos Marinakis, nothing should shock you. Here, Mail Sport examines how Forest pulled off one of their finest coups of modern times.

The Marinakis factor

Forest have been back in the Premier League for only three seasons but in Marinakis, they already have one of the most recognisable owners in English football.

To many pundits and rival fans, there is only a negative side to Marinakis’ volatile personality. They saw Forest’s explosive social media post about refereeing standards in April 2024, then a year later watched him march on to the pitch after a match to complain about the way the referee had treated a serious injury to Taiwo Awoniyi. They gave thanks that Marinakis did not own their club.

Yet how many other owners would have been able to keep Gibbs-White under these circumstances? Marinakis refers to all Forest staff as ‘family’ and sees himself as the father figure. He is often in the tunnel at the City Ground after home games, congratulating or commiserating. He will contact players personally at different points of the season to check on their well-being and that of their families.

So when Marinakis flew to Forest’s training camp on the Algarve to hold one-on-one talks with Gibbs-White last week, he was not doing so as a distant owner. It was an employer/employee conversation but driven by honesty, warmth and mutual respect.

As well as offering a new deal thought to be worth in the region of £150,000 a week to Gibbs-White, Marinakis made his pitch. There would be continued investment, both in the squad and the stadium and training facilities. Forest are edging closer to a £34m deal with Bologna for Swiss winger Dan Ndoye and still have Manchester City midfielder James McAtee firmly on their radar – details that are thought to have impressed Gibbs-White.

Marinakis believes that, even though Spurs will compete in the Champions League this season, it would have been a backward step for Gibbs-White to move to a team that finished 10 places and 27 points behind Forest and were beaten home and away by Nuno’s side.

Then there is Marinakis’ pride. The Greek shipping magnate, who also owns Olympiacos in his homeland, does not lose many battles with other directors and was determined to outlast Spurs chairman Daniel Levy in this duel of stubborn characters.

Supporter sentiment matters to Marinakis, too. In autumn 2022, he was ready to sack Steve Cooper after an underwhelming start to the Premier League campaign but thought twice when he realised fans still loved the manager who had delivered promotion from the Championship a few months earlier.

When Forest supporters learned of the bid for Gibbs-White, just days after Anthony Elanga had moved to Newcastle for £55m, they were angry and concerned.

They feared Forest had abandoned their ambition to break into the elite and were aghast at the relative size of the release clause: Forest had agreed to pay Wolves up to £42.5m for Gibbs-White in 2022, and Wolves were entitled to 10 per cent of the profit on any future sale. That would have left Forest with comparatively little profit, even allowing for accounting practices.

Now Marinakis has given them the answer they wanted – though all the warm words in the world would have made little difference had Gibbs-White not left the door ajar.

Why has Gibbs-White agreed to stay?

Last January, Mail Sport learned Gibbs-White was resisting Forest’s attempts to discuss a new deal. Though the club refused to confirm this at the time, it was then reported by multiple sources when Spurs made their initial move earlier this month.

Mail Sport can also reveal that towards the end of last season, Gibbs-White believed he would be allowed to leave Forest if a top club approached. Everyone expected that club to be Manchester City and Gibbs-White was thought to be keen on the move, not least because his close friend Phil Foden remains a key player for the eight-time Premier League champions.

Although Guardiola’s behaviour at Wembley irritated Forest, there was an acceptance – even among a section of supporters – that Gibbs-White had earned his move after three strong seasons at the City Ground.

Then the trail went cold. Having been so keen on Gibbs-White for so long, City seem to have decided the price was excessive and moved instead for Rayan Cherki of Lyon. The France attacker is a different sort of player from Gibbs-White but for roughly half the price at £34m, the deal was too good to turn down – especially as 21-year-old Cherki is four years younger than Gibbs-White.

Having set his heart on a move to City, Gibbs-White was left somewhat bewildered. There was interest from Saudi Arabia but this did not appeal to him.

Though Gibbs-White was keen to join Spurs, perhaps they did not set his heart beating as quickly as City’s interest had.

When Forest blocked the move, Gibbs-White could have refused to turn up for training. He could have submitted a written transfer request or spoken publicly about his wish to leave. If he had really wanted to, he could have forced the move through.

Instead, Gibbs-White reported for pre-season as scheduled on July 14, held talks with club officials and conducted himself in exemplary fashion. That told its own story. 

He reflected on how much he enjoyed his time at Forest, how loved he is by supporters and the level of backing he has from the coaching staff. Marinakis’ impromptu presentation – and that huge pay rise – did the rest.

What happens next?

History is helpful here. In 2020, Jack Grealish signed a new contract with Aston Villa before joining Manchester City for £100m the following year.

Crystal Palace kept Michael Olise out of Chelsea’s clutches in summer 2023 and sold him to Bayern Munich for £51m 12 months later.

If Gibbs-White has a stellar 2025-26 season, perhaps reaching double figures for goals and assists, but Forest do not show clear progress, it is not difficult to imagine him following the same path as Grealish and Olise.

After all, had City made a firm bid in recent weeks, Gibbs-White would probably be on a beach somewhere now after playing for Guardiola’s men at the Club World Cup.

Then there is Gibbs-White’s England career. Mail Sport understands that although Gibbs-White is well-regarded by Thomas Tuchel and his staff, he has ground to make up to be sure of a place in the squad for the World Cup next year.

Tuchel’s spies are thought to have noted how Gibbs-White can become frustrated quickly when the game does not go his way. They admire his willingness to take risks in possession but are wary of how costly giving away the ball could be in the high temperatures expected at next summer’s tournament in North America.

At Forest, Gibbs-White has the keys to the team. It is hard to think of another club where he would be given such freedom.

Last season, he produced seven goals and 10 assists in the league. Double that goals tally, add a few more assists, and his case will be almost impossible for Tuchel to ignore. Just as, in the end, Marinakis’ was for Gibbs-White himself.