Tottenham came close to signing Morgan Gibbs-White in the summer of 2025 and then did not. According to Monday's round of newspaper and website reports, they are preparing to go again in January, and the number attached this time is £125m.
The 26-year-old England midfielder has been the best player in a Nottingham Forest side that keeps punching above its budget, and any club paying that much would be paying for a player at the peak of his powers rather than a project. Whether Forest would entertain a mid-season sale of the man their whole attacking shape runs through is a separate question, and one the reports do not answer.
Manchester United keeping an eye on Conte
The more uncomfortable item for one Premier League club concerns the dugout. Antonio Conte, 57, has been out of work since leaving Napoli in the summer and is reported to be waiting for the right project rather than the first offer. Manchester United are said to be monitoring him as a possible successor to Michael Carrick should Carrick's position become untenable.
That is a long way from a decision, and it lands in a week when United have already taken a beating in the media after Sunday's 1-1 draw at Fulham. AC Milan and Juventus are also reported to be watching Conte's situation, which makes United's window narrower than the wording suggests.
United's teenage recruitment battle
At the other end of the age range, United are said to be looking at Lens midfielder Mezian Mesloub, a 16-year-old Portugal youth international, as part of an effort to deepen their young talent pool. They are also fighting to keep JJ Gabriel, the 15-year-old forward linked with Real Madrid and Barcelona, with Chelsea now reported to have joined that queue.
Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid have revived their interest in Bayer Leverkusen's Ibrahim Maza, 20, as they look for reinforcements in midfield. Arsenal are reported to be interested in Borussia Dortmund and Germany forward Maximilian Beier, 23.
Liverpool, Newcastle and the January shortlists
Liverpool have reportedly held initial talks with Monaco over Senegal midfielder Lamine Camara, 22, about a January move. They are also among a group including Manchester City, Fulham and Tottenham said to be monitoring Real Sociedad and Venezuela defender Jon Aramburu, 24.
Newcastle, meanwhile, are reported to face competition from Barcelona for Bo Hegland, the 22-year-old Norway midfielder at Djurgarden. As ever in the third week of September, none of this is signed, and the three-week international break is exactly the kind of gap in the calendar where transfer stories multiply.
Transfer context: Morgan Gibbs-White, 26, England midfielder, under contract at Nottingham Forest, reported £125m January target for Tottenham (Football Insider). Antonio Conte, 57, free agent since leaving Napoli, reportedly monitored by Manchester United, AC Milan and Juventus. Other names: Mezian Mesloub (16, Lens), JJ Gabriel (15, Man Utd), Ibrahim Maza (20, Bayer Leverkusen), Maximilian Beier (23, Borussia Dortmund), Lamine Camara (22, Monaco), Jon Aramburu (24, Real Sociedad), Bo Hegland (22, Djurgarden). All items are press reports, not confirmed deals.
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