“Nottingham Forest Made a Costly Mistake: They Sold a Bigger Star Than Gibbs-White, Now Worth £69m”

“Nottingham Forest Made a Costly Mistake: They Sold a Bigger Star Than Gibbs-White, Now Worth £69m”

Nottingham Forest’s strong start to the season hit a bump before the November international break, with Newcastle United securing a 3-1 victory at the City Ground. Despite this setback, manager Nuno Espirito Santo has done an excellent job, building on the positive momentum from last year and transforming it into a squad capable of challenging at the top end of the Premier League. It also helps that Forest boasts some of the brightest emerging talents in English football, including Morgan Gibbs-White, who furthered his growing reputation with an impressive performance for England on Thursday.

Morgan Gibbs-White’s Continued Growth

Gibbs-White joined Forest from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2022 for £42.5m, a move that raised some eyebrows at the time. However, his consistent development has mirrored Forest’s progress, and he is now firmly established as a key player in the Premier League. Over the past three seasons, his performances have earned him a call-up to the England national team, making his debut against the Republic of Ireland in September and featuring again this week.

It was Gibbs-White’s clever pass that set up Curtis Jones’ backheel goal in England’s 3-0 win over Greece, a key moment in Lee Carsley’s penultimate match as interim manager. Gibbs-White is clearly a standout talent, one of Forest’s best, and while the team is in good shape, it’s impossible not to imagine the impact Brennan Johnson could have had if he were still part of the squad. Unfortunately, Johnson was sold to Tottenham Hotspur over a year ago.

The Sale of Brennan Johnson

Johnson enjoyed a solid season in the Premier League with Forest, scoring eight goals and providing three assists in 38 appearances, helping his boyhood club narrowly avoid relegation. Despite his importance, Forest couldn’t resist Tottenham’s £47.5m offer for the winger, a sum too good to turn down.

The sale didn’t have a disastrous impact on Forest, despite the challenges of the 2023/24 season, which saw the club part ways with manager Steve Cooper (who sanctioned Johnson’s departure) and replace him with Nuno Espirito Santo. This managerial change has proven to be a wise decision, and while Forest lost a talented player, they reinvested wisely, signing Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi for a combined £18.5m — less than half of what Spurs paid for Johnson.

This move was necessary to balance the books, particularly after Forest spent heavily on new players, though they still avoided relegation despite a points deduction. While Forest has managed to cope without Johnson, his departure still stings for fans, as one can’t help but imagine the damage he could have done in the current setup.

Brennan Johnson’s Impressive Form at Tottenham

While some critics questioned Johnson’s price tag during his time at Forest, the 23-year-old has silenced them with a stellar start to life at Tottenham. Johnson has been one of the most efficient forwards in the Premier League this season, earning praise for his “incredible run of form” after scoring in six consecutive matches, including goals for Wales. By comparison, Gibbs-White has only scored once this season.

Despite this, Forest has benefitted from the sale, collecting a significant fee for a player who might not have reached his full potential at the club. Forest’s solid performance this season, with 19 points from 11 matches, suggests they will likely surpass their points totals from the past two seasons (38 and 32 points).

Johnson has continued to impress, ranking in the top 13% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, and in the top 8% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 minutes. These statistics highlight his creative potential and knack for getting into dangerous positions. If he were still at Forest, his partnership with Gibbs-White could have been lethal, with both players capable of setting each other up for goals.

Johnson’s Rising Market Value

Gibbs-White is undeniably a talented player, but Johnson has arguably outperformed him this season. According to the CIES Football Observatory’s player valuation model, Johnson’s market value has risen significantly since his transfer to Spurs, with estimates suggesting his worth could reach £69m in 2025. While Forest could have secured an even larger sum for Johnson had they held onto him, the way things have played out, they are still in a strong position.