Nottingham Forest Q&A transfer special: Is Morgan Gibbs-White Man City-bound? What does that mean for Anthony Elanga? And what’s the latest on Nuno Espirito Santo’s new deal?

It’s the start of a huge summer at Nottingham Forest as the club prepares for its first foray into Europe since 1996.

The club has not been afraid to flex its muscles in the transfer market since promotion to the Premier League in 2022 and have done so to great reward in recent windows, helping to transform the side from one battling for survival to one heading off on a European tour.

Naturally, however, the stars of last season have caught the eye of the top flight’s biggest clubs. Mail Sport reported previously that Manchester City were interested in influential midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, while Anthony Elanga is also the subject of much speculation regarding his future.

But if there’s one thing we should know about Forest by now it’s that they are bound to unearth a gem this summer, as they did by plucking Murillo from Brazil two years ago.

We put out the call for your questions on all things transfers and contracts, and here our Nottingham Forest expert TOM COLLOMOSSE reveals everything you need to know…

Is there more chance of Anthony Elanga leaving than Morgan Gibbs-White?

Even though they have no immediate PSR concerns, I’d expect Forest to make a big sale in the early part of the summer.

Newcastle have liked Anthony Elanga for more than a year, with Nuno blocking his sale 12 months ago because he believes the winger is as valuable off the pitch as on it.

Mail Sport revealed Newcastle had made a new enquiry for Elanga earlier in June and Forest will demand more than £50m. The lure of Champions League football could be hard to resist, too.

As for Gibbs-White, Manchester City’s strong interest appears to have cooled due to Forest’s £70m valuation and the next steps will be fascinating.

Does Gibbs-White sign a new deal after all, possibly with a favourable exit clause, or continue to hold out for a Champions League club?

In that respect, it is worth keeping an eye out for possible interest from Tottenham. 

When are we dishing out new contracts for all of our key players?

The problem here is that Forest are a victim of their own success.

When Neco Williams joined the club from Liverpool, they had just been promoted from the Championship. When Ola Aina and Callum Hudson-Odoi arrived a year later from Torino and Chelsea respectively, Forest had narrowly avoided relegation.

Now they’re a club who will compete in Europe next season and these players – whose deals expire in 12 months – want their salaries to reflect that improvement.

Yet while Forest have flourished on the pitch, they are not a money-making machine like the so-called ‘big six’ and must ensure costs do not exceed turnover. Forest would love all three to re-sign but at the moment, the players hold the cards.

And what’s the latest on Nuno Espirito Santo’s contract situation?

Nuno was undoubtedly on the list of Al-Hilal towards the end of the season but the Saudi Pro League club hired Simone Inzaghi from Inter Milan in the end.

There’s little incentive for either side to rush at this stage: Nuno has a year left on his deal at the City Ground, while the hierarchy may want to assess how matters unfold over the coming months before making a decisive move.

Could Morato leave the club? Are stellar recruits still viable for Forest and is a goalkeeper on the list of targets?

Morato certainly struggled towards the end of last season but I don’t think Forest are looking actively to sell him.

As for stellar recruits, all top players these days want the Champions League and that will weaken Forest’s hand.

But Marinakis has excellent relations with leading agents and numerous clubs in Brazil, as well as a strong scouting network, so I’d still expect Forest to be active. I don’t believe a goalkeeper is among the priorities.

How likely are we to be successful in signing Yoane Wissa?

It would have been much easier with Champions League football and Forest will not be Yoane Wissa’s only suitors.

Brentford are excellent sellers, too, and demand top price for their players. Wissa has just 12 months remaining on his contract, with the option to extend it by a further season – I’m sure Brentford will activate that if they can.

The Bees are demanding about £60m for Bryan Mbeumo and Wissa’s valuation will be similar. I struggle to see Forest going that high, without a major sale.

Is there any interest in fringe players like Josh Bowler, Emmanuel Dennis and Omar Richards? 

Forest would love to move all three on as soon as they can to improve their power in the market – but often it doesn’t work like that.

Outside a handful of wealthy clubs, there is little liquidity in the European market, especially among the sort of clubs who would be interested in these players.

Therefore the likeliest routes are loan deals, or late player-exchange agreements towards the end of the window.

Joel Ndala was signed on loan from Manchester City in January with option to make it permanent. Is that option being taken?

This agreement could have formed part of the deal to take Gibbs-White to Manchester City but that trail has gone cold, following City’s decision to move instead for France playmaker Rayan Cherki, who has arrived from Lyon.

That said, Ndala is a homegrown player and these are increasingly valuable for clubs, especially those competing in Europe.

What is the latest on Botafogo trio Igor Jesus, Jair and Cuiabano? 

There is clearly a connection between Forest, Lyon and Botafogo, so if the Brazilian trio complete their moves to Forest, it would be no surprise to see Danilo and goalkeeper Matt Turner heading for France.

We saw the Forest/Lyon link in action a year ago, when Moussa Niakhate and Orel Mangala joined the Ligue 1 club, and there were reports in France that Forest were interested in Cherki before City won the race for him.

What are the latest pre-season tour plans?

Forest are likely to share their plans publicly in the next seven days, but Nuno would like to keep travel to a minimum and believes last summer’s camp in Murcia, south-east Spain, laid the foundations for Forest’s impressive season.

Don’t be surprised if they return to Spain again, or travel to nearby Portugal.

Forest looked at possible opportunities in the Far East and the United States but decided the cost would outweigh the benefit.

How close are we to knowing whether the club will renovate the City Ground or build a new stadium? 

Evangelos Marinakis would never publicly tie himself to a certain date as it would weaken his negotiating position.

But the Forest owner wants the club to play in front of 50,000 and if that’s not possible at the City Ground, he won’t be afraid to make the tough decision.

Forest hope to start redevelopment work in the summer of 2026, but there are still hurdles to clear, and Forest retain the option of building an entirely new home elsewhere – as unpopular as that would be initially with their supporters.

Stadium projects can be infuriating for fans as there is continual back-and-forth with local government and other stakeholders, which delays the process.