Recently, "TA" revealed the inside story of Gibbs White's failure to transfer to Tottenham. They said that Forest did not accept Tottenham's take away players by termination, and club owner Marinakis eventually convinced the player...
Recently, "TA" revealed the inside story of Gibbs White's failure to transfer to Tottenham. They said that Forest did not accept Tottenham's take away players by termination, and club owner Marinakis eventually convinced the players to stay. On July 26, Nottingham Forest played a pre-season friendly against Fulham, however, it seems that it will be Gibbs White's last time for the Forest. A few weeks ago, Tottenham Hotspur made an offer to Gibbs White, meeting and exceeding the £60 million termination clause in the player's contract. Forest was confused about how Tottenham learned about this clause that should have been kept confidential and considered reporting to the Premier League illegal contacts.
Forest announced that Gibbs White has signed a new contract with the club, and TA interviewed insiders of the two clubs and people close to the deal, both of whom will remain anonymous because they are not authorized to speak publicly.
Before signing a new contract with Forest, Gibbs White was determined to join Tottenham. Forest believes that Tottenham's offer did not trigger any other conditions in the termination clause except for the £60 million fee. Gibbs White called Tottenham coach Frank to apologize for the failure of the transfer. During a 30-minute meeting in Portugal, club owner Marinakis convinced him to change his mind.
On July 10, Tottenham notified Forest that it would make an official offer for Gibbs White, and then submitted the offer through official channels. The entire offer includes potential surcharges, which will surpass the £65 million club record they set when they signed Solank from Bournemouth last summer. On the same day, Tottenham Hotspur was finalizing a deal to sign Kudus from West Ham United for £55 million. Signing the two players within a few days will be a big statement from new coach Frank.
Termination clause stipulates that if another club makes a offer of a certain amount, they can negotiate with the player and if an agreement is reached, the transfer can be completed. In this case, the total offer exceeded the £60 million termination clause in Gibbs-White's contract. But Forest believes that Tottenham's offer does not meet other conditions in the terms, and these details have not been confirmed, so they are not obliged to accept the offer.
Tottenham later made a higher second offer, but Forest held on to the stance and was angry that Tottenham knew the terms, as it should have been confidential. They believe Tottenham learned of the terms from a third party and are considering reporting their opponents to the Premier League. The situation is at a deadlock, and Tottenham thinks their offer should be able to release Gibbs White and thinks he still wants a transfer. But Forest did not accept their offer, so the transfer could not be officially carried out.
Gibbs-White did not participate in the Forest's first pre-season friendly match on July 12, but he returned to practice on July 14 as planned to be with other players participating in international competitions. He made his first appearance in a friendly against Monaco on July 19, playing for the first half. Gibbs White did not go with the Forest to pre-season camp in Portugal on July 21, which had nothing to do with the transfer, as his partner was in pregnancy. Gibbs-White was allowed to stay with her, and their child was born in early August.
Gibbs White joined the Forest Training Camp on July 24, and the club owner Marinakis also traveled to Portugal. Gibbs White came on the bench before a friendly against Fulham and Marinakis met him. Forest said Gibbs White decided to stay after an active 30-minute meeting. After the two parties reached a preliminary agreement, the club discussed the financial details of the contract with Gibbs White's representatives.
Gibbs-White's new contract was described by Forest as a "record contract" and was extended for one year on the basis of the previous contract, with the original contract due in 2027. For Gibbs White, this time was very stressful considering the family situation. It is worth pointing out that two things can be established at the same time: Gibbs White may be happy in the forest and willing to stay, while also eager to further develop his career by transferring to a club that will compete in the Champions League this season.
After Gibbs White was persuaded to stay with the Forest, he called Frank to apologize for the development of the matter, but was told that there was no need to apologize. Tottenham was disappointed with the situation, and those around the club said they had never experienced a player who wanted to join them so clearly, but eventually changed his mind and signed a new contract. They admitted it was a setback – a setback that Madison's subsequent ACL injury made it even worse, but they insisted it did not undermine their transfer plan.
It is not clear who told Tottenham about the terms of the termination if they were indeed told. One possibility is that Tottenham made a offer based on its own valuation without knowing the exact terms of the contract.
If no one knows the termination clause, what is the point of setting it? Leathes Dan Chapman, managing partner and head of employment and sports law at Prior, said: "From the player's perspective, if the contract stipulates the expropriation fee as X amount, then the clause will usually further state that if the club receives an offer that exceeds the termination fee, they are obliged to accept the offer and must notify the player and their consultants so that they decide whether to transfer."
"Now, if this is confidential, what can stop the club from turning it off." What about this offer? This has happened, and I have seen some cases where clubs have termination clauses, but they rejected quotations that exceed termination, hoping that the players and their consultants would not know about it. "
" But to be fair, most clubs agree to the expenditure clause and the buyer's club meets this clause, then it would be very stupid to ignore this clause."
If Nottingham Forest continues to complain, the situation may become more complicated.. Chapman explained that if the club accused the player or agent of breach of confidentiality terms, this could affect any future transfers, which, if confirmed, means that the terms will "no longer be valid."
After announcing a new contract with Gibbs White, Nottingham Forest posted a message on X platform: "Our boss Marinakis made a clear statement, and Gibbs White signed a record contract until the summer of 2028."
They subsequently released a video of an interview with Gibbs White and Marinakis on the sidelines to discuss the deal. Nottingham Forest knows their model relies on profiting from selling players, but they think Gibbs White is irreplaceable. Add to that with Elanga's transfer to Newcastle United, they don't think they can lose the midfield core this summer.
So, one of the most curious transfer stories of this summer finally came to an end. Nottingham Forest will enter the new Premier League season with their best players at the core. And Tottenham is still looking for a No. 10 player.
