Manchester United’s interest in Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White has run into reported competition from Bayern Munich, with the 26-year-old increasingly viewed at Old Trafford as a long-term option to succeed Bruno Fernandes.
According to The Peoples Person, talkSPORT understands Bayern are among the leading contenders to sign Gibbs-White, with the report noting he would link up with England teammate Harry Kane in Bavaria. The piece, published on 24 September 2026, stops short of confirming Bayern actually lead the race.
Why United are looking at Gibbs-White
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United’s interest is tied directly to uncertainty over Fernandes’ long-term future. The Portuguese turned 32 earlier this month and, per the same report, his contract expires in under 12 months, though United hold an option for an additional year and are in talks over fresh terms. A hat-trick against Ipswich Town aside, Fernandes has had a slower start to the campaign, which has reportedly sharpened United’s focus on succession planning – the kind of energetic, progressive midfield profile Gibbs-White fits.
Gibbs-White came through Wolverhampton Wanderers’ academy before joining Forest in summer 2022, and his passing range and relentless running have made him a captain-calibre presence at the City Ground. The report suggests he enters the final year of his deal next summer, which could open a cut-price route if he doesn’t extend – though that timeline isn’t independently confirmed here, so it’s worth treating with some caution.
| Competition | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Premier League 2026/27 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 5 | 1 | 2 |
Those five appearances have come across 450 minutes, per Transfermarkt figures cited by The Peoples Person, which also credits him with 18 goal involvements in 2026 – reportedly the most by any English player this calendar year.
Forest won’t make it easy
Bayern’s reported involvement means United are unlikely to have a free run, echoing the situation United found themselves in with Bayern’s competing interest in Benjamin Sesko earlier in the window. Forest are described as bracing for serious offers next summer, and owner Evangelos Marinakis is expected to drive a hard bargain, having already blocked a Tottenham move last year and with Forest securing a reported £116 million deal for Elliot Anderson’s move to Manchester City.
The Peoples Person’s own assessment rates the Bayern link as plausible but flags that claims of the Germans leading the race may be premature. Nothing here points to a formal offer or advanced talks from any club.
What happens next
Forest look set to field bids for Gibbs-White next summer regardless of who comes calling. For United, that means weighing up the Fernandes succession question against Forest’s evident refusal to be rushed – and accepting that, for now, this remains a reported chase rather than anything close to a done deal.