Nuno’s “incredible” Spurs signing could now become their own Gibbs-White

Nuno Espírito Santo’s spell at Tottenham Hotspur was certainly one to forget for the manager and the supporters after the dismal form endured during his tenure.

In the 17 matches he was in charge of the Lilywhites, the 51-year-old only won 52% of the matches he was in charge of – subsequently only being in the role for a total of four months.

Such an appointment raised eyebrows at the time, with the former Wolves boss tasked with the responsibility of taking the side to the next level after José Mourinho’s tenure.

The aforementioned period may not have been enough to make the desired changes, with Daniel Levy arguably making a harsh decision in cutting ties so early into his spell in North London.

The decision allowed the former Portuguese goalkeeper to make an impact elsewhere in the Premier League – subsequently making himself a success at Nottingham Forest.

Morgan Gibbs-White’s time under Nuno at Forest

Nuno joined Forest back in December 2023, leading the club back to European football for the first time in 30 years – but was handed his marching orders earlier this week after a fall-out with owner Evangelos Marinakis.

He was overseeing the progress of attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White at the City Ground, once again linking up with the Englishman after their previous spell together at Wolves.

The 25-year-old enjoyed an incredible campaign throughout 2024/25, subsequently registering his highest tally of combined goals and assists in the Premier League under Nuno’s guidance.

He ended the year with 15 goal contributions, a tally which saw the Lilywhites even make a £60m bid for his services during the recent summer transfer window.

Such a deal was agreed between all parties for Gibbs-White to join Thomas Frank’s side, but Marinakis voiced his displeasure at the transfer and publicly threatened legal action against the club.

As a result, a deal hit a stumbling block, leading to the Englishman penning a new three-year contract at the City Ground and putting a deal off until January at the earliest.

There’s no denying that the failure to secure his signature would’ve been a disappointment to the fanbase, but they needn’t worry, given the talent already on their books in North London.

The Spurs star who’s a bigger talent than Gibbs-White

Whilst Nuno was only in the role for a short period of time, he managed to have a positive impact that has been showcased in recent months – arguably laying some of the foundations for the recent Europa League triumph.

He oversaw the arrival of centre-back Cristian Romero, with the Argentine now a key member of the first-team squad four years on from his switch to England from Atalanta.

The 27-year-old has been named the club captain in recent months, highlighting the importance to the side, with Frank putting huge faith in the defender to lead the club forward.

However, he wasn’t the only first-team member brought in during Nuno’s tenure, with midfielder Pape Matar Sarr also making the move to North London in the summer of 2021.

Whilst he spent his first year back out on loan at Metz, the Senegalese international has established himself as a key member of the side over the last couple of months.

The 22-year-old has started all three of the Lilywhites’ Premier League outings this campaign, showcasing the backing he has from Frank to make an impact in their quest for added success.

Sarr’s importance is further highlighted by his tally of 55 appearances in all competitions last campaign, starting and playing the vast majority of the Europa League final in Bilbao.

Despite being a deeper-lying option than Gibbs-White, he’s also operated in a number ten role in recent months – even managing to outperform him in numerous areas, subsequently making him a bigger talent at present.

Sarr, who’s been labelled “incredible” by journalist Umir Irfan, managed to post a higher shot on target accuracy rate (38%) than Gibbs-White in the Premier League last season.

Such a tally showcases the threat the youngster possesses in attacking areas, arguably making him more of a goal threat when in possession of the ball in attacking areas.

The main responsibility of a number ten is creativity, but Sarr managed to complete more passes into the final third per 90 (4.2), along with a higher tally of carries into the final third per 90 (1.7).

The aforementioned tallies once again highlight the quality the youngster possesses in dangerous areas – something which will develop further given his tender age.

Many supporters will have been bitterly disappointed by the failure to land Gibbs-White, but it’s clear they already have a top-level talent on the books with the Senegalese international.

Nuno’s time at the club may have been one to forget, but the fanbase certainly must be thankful for his dealings in the market, which have given the Lilywhites the chance to compete with Europe’s elite once again.