Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White has hit a major roadblock, with Nottingham Forest accusing the North London side of making an ‘illegal’ approach to their star midfielder. Despite Spurs triggering the 25-year-old’s £60 million ($81m) release clause, Forest have reportedly ceased all communication and are preparing a formal complaint to the Premier League.
Nottingham Forest have halted talks with Tottenham and are consulting legal counsel over what they claim was an illegal approach for Morgan Gibbs-White, according to multiple reports. It is reported that the Lilywhites had activated the midfielder’s £60m release clause without Forest’s permission to negotiate. The Telegraph has claimed that the deal is now completely off, but Sky Sports reports that Forest cannot actually block the transfer.
Forest are said to be furious about a breach of confidentiality, alleging Spurs had insider knowledge of the exact clause. While the club may not be able to legally prevent the move, they are determined to delay and challenge it through formal channels. Gibbs-White had already agreed on personal terms, which has sparked anger among Forest supporters.
Sky Sports’ report also states that Forest never gave Tottenham the green light to speak to Gibbs-White and now believe the Premier League rules were broken when the North London side held conversations with the England international.
A medical had already been scheduled for Friday before Forest pulled the plug and stopped communication. Tottenham remain confident they acted lawfully and believe the release clause justifies their approach.
