Tottenham dealt HUGE transfer blow as Morgan Gibbs-White signs new Nottingham Forest deal after Marinakis intervention
The Greek billionaire flew to the club's training camp in Portugal for face-to-face talks with Gibbs-White, who was lined up to join Premier League rivals Spurs in a £60m deal.
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And Marinakis won the England star over with a passionate speech about how important he was to Forest and their ambitious plans for the future.
Gibbs-White, 25, is now poised to sign an improved and extended contract at the City Ground in a major blow to Tottenham and executive chairman Daniel Levy.
Spurs triggered the player's £60m release clause earlier this month, prompting fury and threats of legal action from Forest.
But after more than a fortnight of uncertainty, Marinakis took decisive steps to end the saga.
Gibbs-White, 25, did not initially fly to the Algarve with the rest of the Forest squad for personal reasons, but joined them later last week.
Marinakis arrived ahead of Saturday night's friendly against Fulham and went to meet Gibbs-White.
He told the star that he was determined to keep on making Forest bigger and stronger and how he wanted the former Wolves man to be at the heart of it.
Gibbs-White is understood to have been so impressed by Marinakis' enthusiasm and vision for Forest's future that he agreed not to pursue a transfer to Tottenham.
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His new deal is believed not to include a release clause.
Gibbs-White's decision will be a massive disappointment to Spurs.
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They targeted the attacking midfielder to be the creative hub of a revamped team under new boss Thomas Frank, with Levy leading the bid to sign him.
But everyone at Forest will be delighted that one of their key players will stay after Marinakis took matters into his own hands.
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