22 Sept 2026 17:05 BST |
4 min read
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Chelsea have been told Morgan Gibbs-White does not need to leave Nottingham Forest in order to become a regular for England.
Daily Mail understands the Blues considered signing Gibbs-White in the summer transfer window, with the midfielder valued at €70million (£60m).
Gibbs-White is developing a reputation as one of the best players in the Premier League at Forest, with whom he scored 15 league goals last term.
However, despite his impressive goal tally, the 26-year-old was surprisingly overlooked when Thomas Tuchel named his England squad for the 2026 World Cup.
And Gibbs-White initially missed out on a place in the 26-man roster for the upcoming International break, only to be drafted in as a late replacement for Cole Palmer.
Chelsea forward Palmer pulled out of the Nations League clashes with Spain, Czech Republic and Croatia across September and October with a minor injury.
Yet Forest legend Des Walker believes Forest are not the reason why Gibbs-White is finding it difficult to make inroads with England.
In an interview with Power Up Gaming via GOAL, Walker said: “[Elliot] Anderson became an England regular while he was a Forest player, so I don’t think the club you play for is necessarily the issue. With the current England manager (Tuchel), I don’t think he’s too bothered about which club you represent. If he likes you and thinks you’re a good player, he’ll pick you.
“The difficulty for Gibbs-White is that there are some very good players in his position. He’s come into the squad because Cole Palmer dropped out, so that puts him behind Palmer. Then you’ve got Foden and Morgan Rogers making their cases for that position too. There’s a lot of competition, but that’s how it should be when you play for England.”
Walker urges Gibbs-White to avoid Maddison example
Walker – who also earned 59 caps for England – cites James Maddison’s move to Tottenham Hotspur as a cautionary tale for Gibbs-White to avoid.
Maddison was also struggling to earn call-ups for England before leaving Leicester City to join Spurs for €46.6m (£40m) in June 2023.
However, despite playing for one of the so-called ‘big six’ clubs in England, Maddison has remained on the periphery of the national team, though he has sustained several injuries.
“I don’t think playing for Forest hinders him [Gibbs-White],” Walker added. “Look at James Maddison going from Leicester to Tottenham – that move didn’t keep him in the England team.
“It isn’t necessarily a move that gets you into the England squad. It’s playing well. That’s what Gibbs-White has to focus on. And if he plays well, that’s probably when the move comes anyway.”
Gibbs-White will hope to impress Tuchel in training ahead of England’s clash against world champions Spain at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
The Forest star, who won the Under-17 World Cup in 2017 and the Under-21 European Championship in 2023 with England’s youth sides, has earned just six senior caps.
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