A super agent has revealed why Tottenham Hotspur might have to pay more than Morgan Gibbs-White’s £60m release clause to actually push a deal with Nottingham Forest through.
Tottenham activated Morgan Gibbs-White’s £60m release clause last week, but the deal has been held up as Nottingham Forest have officially filed a legal complaint against Spurs for approaching the midfielder without their permission.
The main bone of contention has to do with the confidential nature of the release clause, with Forest not happy that the information regarding Gibbs-White’s clause was leaked to Spurs.
Gibbs-White has reported for pre-season with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side as Tottenham look to navigate the legal challenge and get the transfer over the line.
Tottenham may have to pay over £60m for Morgan Gibbs-White
Now, super-agent Sky Andrew, who has been involved in many big transfers over the years, has proposed one way Spurs can overcome this legal challenge and reach an understanding with Forest.
He claimed that it would be difficult for the Midlands club to prove that Tottenham directly approached Gibbs-White but suggested that the North London club may have to pay more than the £60m clause to land the 25-year-old.
Andrew said on talkSPORT about Forest’s legal challenge against Spurs: “Here’s the thing, guys, it’s very difficult to prove that a club went directly to a player without the permission of the club. We’re getting into all sorts of things here — phone records and everything.
“If it goes to arbitration, where it must go within the football rules and regulations, then Forest will have to prove that the club went directly to the player or to the agent. Most clubs know that it is very difficult to prove.
“So, this is a case now of how much will the buying club pay for the player. It won’t be £60 million, it will probably have to be more.”
Spurs remain confident that they will sign Gibbs-White
Despite the steps that Forest have taken, various sources, including Fabrizio Romano, have said that Tottenham are confident the Morgan Gibbs-White deal will go through.
Meanwhile, Alasdair Gold has pointed out that there will be legal complications involved if any club now tries to hijack Spurs’ deal for Gibbs-White, given that the Lilywhites had an agreement in place before Forest cut off communications.
It thus doesn’t seem at this stage that the deal to bring the England international to N17 is in jeopardy, but this delay has certainly complicated matters for Daniel Levy and the Tottenham hierarchy, who hoped to have the deal quickly wrapped up.
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