Morgan Gibbs-White transfer message sent ahead of summer window

Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White could be a target for Newcastle United in the summer transfer window – and Reds fans have been discussing how much it would take to lure their star man away from the City Ground.

With Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes gaining admirers at the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, a replacement could soon be needed at St James’ Park, and MGW is the man being tipped for the role. The England Under-21 international has also attracted interest from Arsenal and Spurs, the Mirror reports, helping to secure a potential bidding war for the Forest man.

The initial £25million the Reds forked out to secure his services from Wolverhampton Wanderers has proven to be a real bargain. Even the potential for the fee to rise to £42million with add-ons would seem like money well spent, especially if his efforts help them stay in the top flight.

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But the 24-year-old’s true value could yet prove a financial bargaining chip in Forest’s ongoing battle over the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules – when selling their star asset could ensure they are safely within the spending limits for top-flight players.

The Magpies are facing their own PSR issues this season, unable to spend as much as their owners would like for fear of facing a points deduction like Forest. For that reason, the £100m sale of Guimaraes could be their key to PSR security – but also open the door to a deal for Gibbs-White as Newcastle seek a cut-price alternative to the Brazilian.

But cheap doesn’t mean cheap, and Forest fans have begun to wonder what the Stafford-born midfielder could bring the Reds when the summer transfer window opens.

One commentator, Steve1956, writes: “Priceless is the word that springs to mind. While every player has his price, why should Forest sell cheap? Clubs may think we will sell at any price to cover the PSR, but I would rather accept the four-point deduction again next season if we have to sell and consider what other assets we could lose that would do the least damage to the side.

“What would selling Morgan yield for the club in terms of profit? Probably less than we think as we still owe Wolves a considerable portion of his fee. Morillo will be a better sale for the club’s finances as he cost a lot less than Morgan. For either player, the bid should start at £80m with a season-long loan back to Forest as part of the deal. Then we can talk to other clubs.”

Robbo11legend is also considering setting a price tag, stating: “£75m minimum – not a penny less.” Ripleyred adds: “Certainly with PSR as it is now, if the player has done nothing but increase his value with his performances since joining Forest, there’s no way the club won’t be holding out for a better return than £50m. There are other players who would give a better return before they try to offload MGW.”

Cloughs1980red wants the club to also hold out for a quality deal, saying: “Every player has their price, and if Forest do need to sell then the fee has to be a fair and reasonable price and we shouldn’t be rushed into selling our valuable assets at bargain prices to multi-million pound clubs just because the EPL or, God forbid, the EFL say we have to.”

Redgeezer49 adds: “Sell when you need to and make as much money as you can like Brennan Johnson, but PLEASE learn to invest your money wisely.”

Which players are Forest’s biggest ‘bargaining chips’? Have your say in the comments section HERE to join the conversation