Nottingham Forest’s return to the Premier League after 23 years away was never going to be dull.
The transfer business conducted by Steve Cooper’s side continues to be one of the stories of the summer, raising eyebrows throughout English football.
After they confirmed the club record signing of Morgan Gibbs-White for £42.5million, the former Wolves starlet became the 16th new arrival at the City Ground bringing their total outlay up to £150m.
Morgan Gibbs-White joined Nottingham Forest from Wolves for a club record £42.5m fee
The former Wolves starlet leaves the club after making just 48 Premier League appearances
Forest boss Steve Cooper previously coached Gibbs-White at Swansea and England Under 17s
Fans and pundits alike have gasped at the transfer fee, with the midfielder only registering one goal and one assist in 48 Premier League games over the past four years, as the 22-year-old was unable to nail down a regular place at Wolves.
Forest’s pursuit of Gibbs-White has been relentless, with Wolves turning down a number of bids from the Premier League newcomers, before relenting on Thursday, having completed a move for Sporting Lisbon’s Matheus Nunes for £38m.
Gibbs-White has been relentlessly pursued by Forest and takes their summer spending up to £150m on their return to the top flight
Everton also chased the England youth star, but the midfielder was reportedly keen on a move to the City Ground and linking up again with his former England Under 17 and Swansea manager Cooper, after he excelled on loan at Sheffield United in the Championship last year.
Gibbs-White had impressed Bruno Lage at Wolves in pre-season but his reluctance to sign a new contract has forced the club’s hand to cash in on their young star.
He was though still selected for Wolves’ opening two games of the season – playing the full 90 minutes in the 2-1 defeat at Leeds as well as the draw against Fulham.
Gibbs-White is expected to add versatility to the Forest midfield where he can play anywhere in a three. He is also flexible enough to feature in a central role behind strikers or even play just off the main striker.
But what do we know about Forest’s new signing? Sportsmail takes a look …
Breakthrough at Molineux
After joining Wolves as an eight-year-old, Gibbs-White was tipped as one of the academy’s top prospects throughout his teenage years.
He was given his debut by Paul Lambert in an FA Cup clash against Stoke City as a…