Over the course of Nottingham Forest’s two seasons in the Premier League, a scattergun approach to signings has seen several underwhelm, but a respectable few have been strong performers during their time at the club. One of those who has been a key addition to the Forest side since their return to the Premier League, after a 23-year absence, in 2022 is Morgan Gibbs-White.
Signed from Wolves following an impressive year on loan in the Championship with Sheffield United, the creative and dynamic attacking midfielder has been the first name on the team sheet almost every week since his arrival, so often being the catalyst for much of Forest’s success since their top-flight return.
Such a level of performance has seen several clubs take note of the 24-year-old, with Newcastle United the latest team to be linked with the Englishman. GIVEMESPORT understands that a £60m move could be on the cards this summer.
With an exit for one of the club’s star men potentially around the corner, here are five potential players who could potentially fill any gap left behind by the midfielder should he leave.
| Morgan Gibbs-White for Nottingham Forest | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 80 |
| Goals | 11 |
| Assists | 18 |
| Player of the Match | 13 |
| Market Value | £45m |
Giovanni Reyna
Borussia Dortmund
An outside option for a plethora of reasons, but still one that should be at least considered by the Reds should their star Englishman leave. The Sunderland-born USA international may not have pulled up any trees during his time on loan at The City Ground last term, but the 21-year-old did still garner just enough game time to show what he could potentially offer.
Earmarked during his time at Dortmund for his creativity, flair and technique, Gio Reyna struggled for minutes upon his half-year loan in Nottingham, starting just two games in the Premier League from his bank of 10 total appearances. However, he did offer a few glimpses in this limited time as to what he can do. An assist against Wolves on his first start for the club, including a dazzling run and shot in the same game display that there may well be a reliable option in there for Forest.
Having recently agreed a new deal with Dortmund before embarking on his English loan, the youngster is likely to command a sizable fee. However, with his parent club set to play in the Champions League final soon, and looking to be on the up, there’s a chance Dortmund may no longer request his services, at which point Forest could bring him in for less than expected.
An outside shot who hasn’t been given the full opportunity to showcase his skills, Reyna may not be the most popular of choices to opt for. However, it’s fair to say he showed enough of the player that is in there.
Martin Baturina
Dinamo Zagreb
A name that may not be at the top of many a Forest fans shopping list this summer window, but a young prodigy with all the tools to succeed at the very top level.
Praised throughout his formative years at Dinamo Zagreb, the Split-born 21-year-old has been praised consistently for his ability in tight spaces and eye for a pass, drawing comparisons to the very Luka Modric for his potential as one of Croatia’s most exciting young talents.
Plying his trade back in his home country for Dinamo Zagreb, the 2003-born attacking midfielder is noted for his composure on the ball and skill, making his senior debut for the Croatian national team aged just 20 in November 2023, as a substitute in a 2-0 away win over Latvia.
His natural ability and effective flair has seen his star rise as he has come along, now entering into his fourth season as a professional, and several big clubs are starting to take notice. If Gibbs-White is to depart Forest in this window, they will find similar attributes in him, in Baturina, and could potentially benefit from jumping the gun and attempting to bring the talented Croatian to the City Ground.
Gabriel Sara
Norwich City
A reported target for freshly optimistic Crystal Palace in this window, Norwich’s star Brazilian Gabriel Sara has turned plenty of heads with his performances in the midfield this season – with Forest also sending scouts to watch him in the final weeks of the season.
Crafty as he is efficient, and as versatile as he is talented, the 24-year-old again matches a lot of similar attributes that have seen Morgan Gibbs-White be lauded so highly during his time at Forest. Deceptively fast and a handful for defenders to deal with, his blend of flair and footballing intelligence has seen Sara produce a long string of good performances for Norwich this season, including an assist in cup competition against Liverpool, which more than justifies his links to England’s top tier.
With Crystal Palace starting to circle around his name, and with the Eagles injected with a fresh sense of optimism and potential achievement under daring new manager Oliver Glasner, it may be a tough ask for Nottingham Forest to convince the Brazilian to move to the Midlands over London. But, Forest are as ambitious as ever, and a player like Sara could certainly fill any gap left behind by their beloved Gibbs-White.
Jan-Niklas Beste
1. FC Heidenheim
Another option fans may be forgiven for not being familiar with, Jan-Niklas has enjoyed a phenomenal season with overachieving Heidenheim. With the team from South-West Germany qualifying for the Conference League playoffs in their very first season in the Bundesliga, several players have enjoyed unexpectedly remarkable campaigns, but Beste has flown that flag higher than most.
Leading the way with a mighty eight goals and 11 assists, Beste is more operable playing off the left wing, but has been deployed to good effect at the spearpoint of midfield on a handful of occasions this term. Signed for a measly sum from VFL Wolfsburg in July 2022, the 25-year-old German has dazzled with his masterful array of tricks and techniques, carving himself out as one of the best performers in the Bundesliga this season.
While, in Forest’s case, it would potentially be difficult to lure Beste away from the chance to play European football for the first time, both for him and the club he has achieved this with, the thought of trying his worth in the Premier League may be one that could prise Heidenheim’s tricky forward away from them and on towards the East Midlands.
Kenneth Taylor
Ajax
A central man just as effective deeper in the midfield than he is further forward within it, Ajax maestro Kenneth Taylor would be a clever piece of recruitment for many sides in the Premier League, let alone Nottingham Forest.
Equipped with a wondrous left foot that supplies his customary range of passing and vision, the Netherlands U21 international has had a remarkable year as Ajax recovered from their dreadful season’s start to European qualification, outing himself as yet another one to watch from Ajax’s famous academy.
Whilst his belying stats lie within his control of games and his incisive passing, his goal numbers have started to creep up during this campaign as well, notching 5 goals for himself and laying on a further five in the league alone for Ajax this term.
And whilst previous Eredivisie recruit Ibrahim Sangare has struggled thus far to keep his head above water in the Premier League, which may deter Forest from casting their net into the Dutch divisions again this summer, Taylor has a lot of tools to his game that suit the tough, high-intensity world of the English top flight, operating remarkably well under serious pressure and succeeding well in the tightest of spaces. With his market value sat at just a hair over £20m, Kenneth Taylor represents a keen replacement option for the Englishman, whilst also leaving room in the bank to invest in other areas should Gibbs-White bring in anything close to that reported £60m fee.
