Newcastle United reportedly want to sign Morgan Gibbs-White this summer, but that will be extremely difficult.
The 24-year-old emerged as a target for the Magpies in January, when there were suggestions that Miguel Almiron could leave the club. Those rumours were met with excitement, but they ultimately went nowhere. Almiron stayed at St James’ Park, while Gibbs-White never got close to signing for Newcastle United.
But links with the Nottingham Forest star have continued heading into the summer, with Gibbs-White seen as a player who Newcastle are going to try and sign.
It has been reported by iNews that Newcastle are interested in Gibbs-White, as they prepare to make some exciting signings after solving their PSR problem.
However, it is the solution to their PSR problem that could make tempting Forest into selling their best player even tougher.
Newcastle sell Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest
Newcastle want to sign Gibbs-White, and there is certainly a space for him at St James’ Park following the departure of Elliot Anderson.
The local lad was sacrificed to ensure that the Magpies did not suffer a points deduction, with Anderson following Yankuba Minteh out the door before the end of June.
Incredibly, Anderson became the joint most expensive Newcastle sale ever, with his £35million departure equalling the fee that the Magpies got for Andy Carroll back in 2011.
It is a huge amount of money for someone who is yet to score a Premier League goal, and it has helped Eddie Howe’s side avoid a points deduction. However, it could also impact one of Newcastle’s transfer pursuits.
Morgan Gibbs-White could suddenly be even more expensive
It could be argued that in Elliot Anderson, Forest have a readymade replacement for Gibbs-White. He is a central player who can influence games and create opportunities, while he also has the versatility to play out wide.
In that respect, selling Anderson to Forest could help Newcastle land Gibbs-White.
Alternatively, it is the £35million fee for Anderson that could potentially put Gibbs-White out of Newcastle’s reach.
While that amount has saved Newcastle from a PSR perspective, it was quite incredible to see that Forest agreed to pay that much for Anderson. While he is an extremely talented player, it feels like they have paid over the odds.
Right now, that is to Newcastle’s benefit. But that might change if they go to Forest in search of a deal for Gibbs-White. If Anderson is worth £35million, then how much is Gibbs-White going to cost? Based on current form, you could argue that Gibbs-White is twice the player that Anderson is. If Forest see it as simply as that, they could easily demand £70million for their star midfielder. And that is an obscene amount that Newcastle simply will not pay.
Of course, this is all hypothetical, but there has to be a slight sense of fear that a player who Newcastle clearly rate so highly could suddenly be out of their reach because of a player they sold.
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