Nottingham Forest have made Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey their “number one target” this summer, according to The Telegraph. This comes just days after Tottenham Hotspur controversially triggered the £60 million release clause in Morgan Gibbs-White’s contract, leaving Forest with a huge attacking void to fill.
Nottingham Forest Make Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey ‘Number One Target’ Amid Morgan Gibbs-White Saga
What Do We Know So Far?
According to the Telegraph, Forest have identified Ramsey as a key target in the hopes to bolster their forward line ahead of next season, when they will play European football for the first time in 30 years. The Tricky Trees have already sold Anthony Elanga to Newcastle this summer and look likely to lose Gibbs-White, so will need to replace the creativity, directness and goal threat of the two attackers.
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Birmingham-born Ramsey, 24, has made 174 appearances for Villa after coming through the club’s academy setup and still has two years left on his contract. The forward is highly rated by manager Unai Emery, according to The Athletic, so it remains to be seen whether the Midlands side would be willing to let their homegrown star go.
The former England youth international was a key part of Emery’s squad last season, making 45 appearances in all competitions and scoring four goals. However, with Villa fined by UEFA on July 5 for breaching financial rules, selling an in-demand academy graduate could help to balance the books, with Ramsey representing “pure profit” from a PSR perspective.
A Gibbs-White Replacement?
Tottenham launched a £60 million bid to sign Morgan Gibbs-White on July 10, supposedly triggering a release clause in the midfielder’s contract. Forest have since launched legal action against Spurs, claiming their approach for Gibbs-White was “illegal” and a breach of confidentiality, as they claim Tottenham should not have been aware of the release clause.
According to Sky, Forest have now written both to Spurs and Gibbs-White’s agent, making it clear that they have reported the issue to the Premier League and will be seeking a legal resolution. This has left the England international’s future at the City Ground hanging in the balance, as the two clubs remain in a standoff.
Should Gibbs-White end up leaving Forest this summer, the club will have sold two of their star players for a combined £115 million; funds which will need to be quickly invested in replacements. As a versatile attacker who can operate both as a number ten and on the left flank, Jacob Ramsey could be a shrewd addition to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side next season.
What Would Jacob Ramsey Bring to Forest?
At just 24 years old, Ramsey brings vast top-level experience. He has been a Premier League regular at Villa for the last five seasons, and made ten appearances in last year’s Champions League, making him a highly valuable addition as Forest look to repeat last season’s heroics.
A technically gifted attacking midfielder with fantastic vision, work rate, and link-up play, Ramsey has a number of similar characteristics to Gibbs-White and could flourish if given more responsibility at Forest than he currently has at Villa. The 24-year-old also has an eye for goal, scoring six league goals in both the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons, and enjoys making late runs into the box from deep.
