Nottingham Forest handed Champions League warning as star man touted for Man City transfer
Securing Champions League football would give Nottingham Forest a huge transfer advantage, according to former striker Stan Collymore.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s Reds continue to hold their own at the top end of the Premier League table with 14 games to go. They sit in third spot, six points clear of Manchester City and Newcastle United, who are separated by goal difference in fifth and sixth respectively.
Returning to the European stage in any form for the first time since they qualified for the Uefa Cup under Frank Clark in 1995 would be a terrific achievement for the club. But if they can clinch a Champions League spot, Collymore believes it would give Forest a great chance of hanging on to prized assets such as Morgan Gibbs-White and Murillo.
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“Nuno Espirito Santo knows that if he can get Forest into the Champions League, then he gets the opportunity to keep players for an extra season or two and keep the club potentially in European positions for years to come,” the Reds legend told William Hill Vegas.
“If they drop into the Europa League, then they will lose two or three players. Despite having lots of money in the bank, and especially with financial fair play, to recruit the kind of players that could replace Gibbs-White and Murillo would be very, very difficult.”
He added: “For Gibbs-White, and Murillo for that matter, it's a really simple equation. If Nottingham Forest get into the Champions League, they stay. Why would you get a club to the Champions League, and then leave to go to a club that may not be in the Champions League like Manchester City? If Forest drop out of the Champions League places though, then I expect to see big bids coming in for Gibbs-White and Murillo in the summer.”
The Reds reportedly shut down Chelsea’s hopes of snapping up defender Murillo early on in January. The Brazilian and Gibbs-White are key players for Forest, and throughout the winter transfer window head coach Nuno emphasised the importance of keeping his dressing room together.
Deadline day passed with the core of Nuno’s squad still intact. But Gibbs-White is so good, Collymore argues he would be able to fill Kevin De Bruyne’s shoes at Manchester City.
“Kevin De Bruyne is ageing and I think Morgan Gibbs-White would be able to fill that attacking midfielder role in the Manchester City side very well,” Collymore said. “There aren't many players like Kevin De Bruyne out there, let's be honest, players that can put the ball on a plate for a striker and score goals themselves, but Gibbs-White would be a very good replacement.”
Gibbs-White earned his first senior cap for his country earlier this season when he was called up by interim England manager Lee Carsley. The 25-year-old will have his sights set on adding to his two Three Lions appearances under new boss Thomas Tuchel.
“Gibbs-White deserves an opportunity to play games for England, but I think Thomas Tuchel will pick the best players that are playing the best football in the positions that they're in and that have served Gareth Southgate well,” Collymore added. “There is only going to be a maximum of two or three places up for grabs in Tuchel’s first squad because his main role is to get England firing at the World Cup.”
