Arsenal are “keeping tabs” on Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, according to the Daily Star.
The Gunners are currently well-stocked in midfield but the English tabloid claim that the club are considering their options if they offload the likes of Emile Smith Rowe this summer.
Gibbs-White has impressed with some of his performances for Forest this season but the majority of fans on X are sceptical about a potential transfer:
Smith Rowe and Vieira are better than him. An unnecessary signing is what this would be lol.
— Munzi (@MunziTheGooner) March 24, 2024
Hell no
— 🤴🏿 (@EastsideNugg) March 24, 2024
No no no – no need. Then we are good with other players already IN the club
— Mr Jorgensen (@DanishGoonerCPH) March 24, 2024
This shouldn’t even be a conversation started at arsenal football club . Gibbs white is Manchester united level .
— Eter (@ater477) March 24, 2024
Not good enough
— Xanit Modegaard (@CzechGooner54) March 24, 2024
We literally have a player of his profile in ESR. It’s a NO for me
— SHEY (@Jesse_Adamz) March 24, 2024
I like MGW, but play Fab and ESR. See what Patino & Nwaneri offer.
Don’t be like United buying players right and left when the Academy players (Garnacho, Mainoo) are there & already better.
— Brian McCormick (@brianmccormick) March 24, 2024
Would Gibbs-White be an upgrade on Arsenal’s current midfield options?
The 24-year-old has scored 4 goals and provided 5 assists in 33 appearances for Forest this season. It’s not a particularly impressive return but he has been playing for a team that is struggling against relegation.
There is an argument to say that Gibbs-White’s numbers would improve if he did make the switch to the Emirates. However, it is questionable whether he is any better than Smith Rowe or Fabio Vieira.
How much would Arsenal have to pay to sign him?
Foret paid £42.5m (including add-ons) to snap up Gibbs-White from Wolves in the summer of 2022 but, after breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, it has been reported that they could sell the midfielder for around £50m.
For that price, though, you would want someone who could really make a difference in the middle of the park, and Gibbs-White has yet to show that he can produce the goods on a consistent basis.