Tottenham Hotspur’s deal for Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White has fallen through.
Spurs thought they had their man after triggering a £60 million release clause, agreeing personal terms, and even scheduling a medical, only for Nottingham Forest to intervene and put the deal on standby by accusing the North Londoners of illegal contact.
Despite confidence and the player’s eagerness to join Thomas Frank’s forces, Nottingham Forest stood resolute. And last weekend, Gibbs-White signed a new bumper three-year deal at City Ground. Tottenham had earmarked the England international as the next marquee signing after Mohammed Kudus’ arrival from West Ham earlier this month, but they have not managed to get a deal over the line after a long saga.
However, as per reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham have started working on evaluating the market for Gibbs-White’s alternative targets.
Earlier this year, there were several reports that suggested Tottenham’s interest in signing Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi.
The Italy international joined Inter Milan on an initial loan from Sassuolo which became permanent last summer after the club splashed just over €31 million. While he has put in some impressive performances, the attacking midfielder has failed to establish himself as a regular starter at Inter Milan.
Davide Frattesi largely acted as a squad option under former boss Simone Inzaghi, mustering only 1210 minutes across 28 Serie A games this previous campaign. He only managed nine league starts and underwent a hernia operation back in May, thereby forcing him to miss the Club World Cup. However, with a change in the managerial hotseat, the situation with Frattesi has changed.
Now, according to a report from TuttoSport (h/t FC Inter News), Inter have informed Frattesi that he will stay at the club this summer. He has been deemed ‘unsellable’ by new manager Cristian Chivu, despite initial enquiries from several European clubs including Tottenham.
Frattesi was open to leaving the Nerazzurri under Inzaghi, but he is now open to signing a new contract and talks have begun over a renewal. And this development should come as a blow for Spurs.
Tottenham looked flat and devoid of creativity in midfield during the last months of the 2024/25 campaign whenever the likes of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski were missing or not efficient. The team lacked energy and dynamism complemented by some sense of attacking intent from the centre, and this is where Frattesi could have come into picture. The Italian could have been a decent addition to the Lilywhites’ ranks after they missed out on Gibbs-White.
So, Frattesi deciding to stay at Inter and sign a new deal is bad news for Frank’s club.
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