Arsenal & Man Utd target must AVOID making Grealish mistake

Cameron Smith

• 8 Apr 2024 16:30 BST
• 4 min read

Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White has been linked with a big-money move to Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur over the past few weeks following his impressive form this season.

The ex-England U21 international joined Forest for an initial €29.5 million in 2022 and he has emerged as their most important attacker over the past 18 months.

This season, Gibbs-White has four goals and seven assists in 31 Premier League matches and looks on course to end the campaign with a remarkably similar tally to Jack Grealish’s six goals and 12 assists during his final year at Aston Villa.

READ MORE: Jack Grealish to Aston Villa - Why DREAM return is on the cards

Since leaving Villa Park to join Manchester City for a British transfer record fee of €117.5 million (which has now been exceeded by Enzo Fernandez), Grealish has become a cog in a well-oiled machine and his creative freedom has been reduced to almost zero.

He recently admitted as much, saying: “Playing for this manager [Pep Guardiola] the only person who has been able to go and do what they want in a Pep team is [Lionel] Messi, which is fair enough. You can’t knock what the manager has done, he’s an incredible manager, a great guy with a really good heart as well.”

Grealish performed an admirable role as a facilitator for Erling Haaland last season, as City won the treble, but his influence has diminished this campaign and a return to Aston Villa has been mooted as a very realistic possibility.

READ MORE: How Aston Villa would line up with Jack Grealish

Morgan Gibbs-White to leave Nottingham Forest?

Gibbs-White is not an output machine, however he is the lynchpin of Forest’s attack and his skillset is absolutely pivotal at the City ground. The Englishman has excellent close control and dribbling skills, while his eye for a pass in the final-third is sublime. The similarities to Grealish at Villa are almost frightening.

Arsenal, Man Utd and Tottenham have all been linked with a move for the Nottingham Forest star, however Gibbs-White is best served staying where he is. He is a guaranteed starter under Nuno Espirito Santo, something that wouldn’t be the case if he joins a ‘top six’ side, and the attacking system is almost built around him.

Of course, Grealish is now a treble winner thanks to his mega-money move to Man City and is earning a far higher salary than he was at Aston Villa, but his creative freedom on the pitch has been sacrificed and he looks a far inferior player than the one who tore the Premier League to shreds during his final campaign at Villa Park.

Gibbs-White must decide which path to take, and if he prioritises being the main man - a role in which he is currently thriving in - then staying at Forest makes logical sense.