Tottenham Hotspur reportedly failed to trigger a complicated release clause in Morgan Gibbs-White’s Nottingham Forest contract, leading to a spectacular turn of events which ended in a new deal for the midfielder.
Earlier this month, reports emerged stating Spurs had triggered Gibbs-White’s £60 million ($80.6 million) release clause, but this was immediately met with fury from Forest, who considered reporting Spurs over what they felt was an “illegal approach”.
The saga concluded on Saturday with a new contract for Gibbs-White, triumphantly unveiled by owner Evangelos Marinakis, and The Telegraph have now offered a deep insight into how things played out for Spurs.
Central to the issue is the specifics of Gibbs-White’s old release clause, which was not as simple as a single number. Instead, it was a complex mechanism and, while Spurs are thought to have met the value of the clause, they did not meet “a number of conditions” which meant the clause was never activated.
🗣️👊 pic.twitter.com/gO5QQ89hJg
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) July 27, 2025
Forest were, in turn, never forced to accept the bid and accused Spurs of an illegal approach for Gibbs-White, even suggesting there had been a breach of confidentiality by the revelation of a release clause which was not previously public knowledge.
Marinakis involved himself personally, believing he had been disrespected by Spurs counterpart Daniel Levy with the nature of the approach. “We always win,” the Forest owner reflected after confirming Gibbs-White’s extension.
The new contract is not thought to include a release clause or an agreement over a future transfer for Gibbs-White, who is understood to have behaved impeccably throughout the saga.
While they no longer need a replacement for Gibbs-White, Forest are still expected to pursue a move for Manchester City’s James McAtee.
Tottenham, by contrast, will head back to the drawing board. Thomas Frank’s side have been credited with interest in Real Madrid’s mercurial forward Rodrygo, who is now thought to be available for a reduced price given the club’s willingness to move on.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Morgan Gibbs-White: How Tottenham Missed Out on ‘Complex’ Transfer.
