Foden and Guardiola think the same thing about £60m Tottenham transfer

Pep Guardiola and Phil Foden feel exactly the same way about Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, who looks poised to join Tottenham in a £60m transfer

Tottenham are on the verge of signing an absolute gem of a player – at least in the eyes of Pep Guardiola and Phil Foden. Spurs appear to have agreed a £60million deal for Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, who was strongly linked with Manchester City earlier in the year.

The England international, 25, is set become Tottenham's second major signing of the week following their £55m capture of Mohammed Kudus. Since arriving at Forest from Wolves in 2022, Gibbs-White has established himself as a key figure, playing a pivotal role in their remarkable rise up the table last season.

It was a campaign during which Forest held a Champions League spot for more than half the year, and his performances haven't gone unnoticed. In March, Manchester City boss Guardiola described him as "exceptional," a sentiment shared by Foden.

After Gibbs-White's standout showing in the 2023 U21 European Championship semi-final – where he scored and produced a man of the match performance against Israel – the City ace simply commented "what a player" on his soon-to-be international team-mate's Instagram post celebrating the win.

Such praise from elite peers underlines the high regard in which Gibbs-White is held and will no doubt be music to the ears of Tottenham fans. The midfielder was previously on City's transfer shortlist before they switched their attention to Rayan Cherki early in the window.

Once the deal is finalised, with Spurs reportedly having triggered his release clause, Gibbs-White will become Spurs' fifth major signing of the summer, pushing their total spending past the £180m mark. He joins Kudus, Luka Vuskovic, and Kota Takai, along with Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso, whose loan deals from last season have now been made permanent.

The spending spree signals clear intent from the club to back new manager Thomas Frank and avoid a repeat of last season's disastrous domestic campaign. Spurs finished a dismal 17th in the Premier League, hampered by a brutal injury crisis.

Although they salvaged the season with a historic Europa League triumph – securing Champions League qualification – it wasn't enough to save Ange Postecoglou from the sack.

Their aggressive early moves in the transfer window suggest a club determined to climb the table and build a deeper, more resilient squad capable of withstanding the rigours of a long campaign.

Next term marks their return to the Champions League for the first time since 2022/23, and with competition in the Premier League's top half more intense than ever, Spurs are moving decisively to capitalise on the opportunity and re-establish themselves among the elite.

For Nottingham Forest, Gibbs-White's imminent departure underscores just how vital Champions League qualification would have been.

The club have already approved the £55m sale of Anthony Elanga to Newcastle, and losing Gibbs-White in the same window represents a significant setback, with both players leaving for clubs playing in Europe's premier club competition next season.

The pair were instrumental in Forest's impressive recent form, and their exits leave a considerable void heading into the new season. Elanga contributed 11 assists in the Premier League in 2024/25 – a tally bettered only by Mohamed Salah and his soon-to-be Magpies team-mate Jacob Murphy – as well as six goals.

Gibbs-White, meanwhile, notched seven goals and eight assists in the league. Together, the duo were involved in a significant chunk of Forest's goals in 2024/25, with only Chris Wood bagging more goal contributions (20 goals and three assists).

At Spurs, Gibbs-White will be vying for a place in a talent-rich midfield that includes Kudus, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Archie Gray, Yves Bissouma, and Pape Matar Sarr. It's fierce competition – but if his trajectory so far is anything to go by, Gibbs-White won't just be fighting for a spot – he'll be aiming to make one his own.