Harry Watkinson
Morgan Gibbs-White: In demand
Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White is just 22 years old, but he is already on the radar of several Premier League clubs this summer.
We have broken down his stats from the last three seasons, so you can see how he has progressed in his career thus far… and it’s fair to say he’s improved a lot.
A versatile player, with the ability to play as a number six, an attacking midfielder, or a supporting striker; Gibbs-White would be a valuable addition to any side.
2019-20 (Wolves)
Gibbs-White’s first season playing regular Premier League football came in 2018-19, where he played 26 games in total, with 21 of these appearances from off the bench, and he was able to show some of his potential.
But, in 2019-20, he got very little game time in comparison. He played only 11 matches, missing a lot of game time due to a back injury which seemed to keep coming back every time he got fit again.
But it’s fair to say that even when he was fit, Gibbs-White really struggled. Playing as an attacking midfielder, you would expect him to create chances and score goals, but he only averaged 11.3 passes per match (extremely low for a midfielder), 0.4 key passes per game, 0.3 shots per game, while he scored zero goals and made no assists throughout the campaign.
His average match rating of 6.10 shows how off the pace he was and a lot of Wolves fans were left thinking that the player that had burst onto the scene the previous season was going to be injury-prone and inconsistent.
Played: 11
Passes per game: 11.3
Pass success rate: 79.7%
Key passes per game: 0.4
Shots per game: 0.3
Assists: 0
Goals: 0
Average match rating: 6.10
2020-21 (Wolves and on loan at Swansea)
Off the back of that season, Gibbs-White had to prove himself. He went on a short-term loan to Swansea City for the first half of the season, which gave him the opportunity to shine in the Championship. However, he was once again hit with a bad injury – a fractured foot, which kept him out of action for two months.
In total, he played just five times for Swansea but began to show signs of improvement. His involvement in the games he played increased, averaging 30.3 passes per match with a 75% success rate. He also looked more confident in front of goal, making 1.6 shots per game for the Swans. He scored once and assisted once in those five matches.
When he returned to Wolves in January, he was given more opportunities, and even when he didn’t feature, he was usually on the bench. He played 11 matches for Wolves where his performance improved: now averaging a 86% pass success rate. However, he seemed to see a lot less of the ball; making just 20.2 passes per game and only had an average of 0.9 shots per game for them. He did though manage to score his first goal for the club in a 2-1 victory over Brighton.
Overall, despite yet again being hampered by injuries, Gibbs-White definitely improved in the 2020-21 season. He was on the ball a lot more and his pass accuracy and number of shots on goal increased considerably. He still seemed to be struggling in the Premier League though and Nuno Espirito Santo didn’t seem to trust him to be in the starting 11 very often. But you could see his potential was there.
Played: 16
Passes per game: 25.3
Pass success rate: 80.5%
Key passes per game: 1.25
Shots per game: 1.25
Assists: 1
Goals: 2
Average match rating: 6.68
2021-22 (on loan at Sheffield United)
Last season, Gibbs-White showed why he has been touted to become a great player after a fantastic season on loan with Sheffield United. It was his first season without a major injury, so he was able to fully show his talents.
After playing 37 times in total in the Championship for United, he was a lot more involved in the games he played. He made more passes, now averaging 37.8 per match and he created chances with them too – making 1.6 key passes on average. He was also much more confident in front of goal too, making 2.5 shots on target per game showing how dangerous he became last season.
The only surprise is that his pass success rate dropped to 72.5%, but perhaps this was a result of him trying to be more direct, playing more ambitious through balls or long balls over the top.
In total, he chalked up a fantastic 12 goals and 10 assists, which is why so many clubs want to sign him this summer. Whether or not Wolves will be willing to sell him, is another issue.
The youngster is valued at £9.9 million by Transfermarkt, but Wolves are reportedly demanding a fee in the region of £25 million. Everton and Nottingham Forest are the most interested, but are they willing to spend the big bucks on him?
One thing is for sure though, if he continues to improve at this rate then Gibbs-White will turn into a fantastic player in the future.
Played: 37
Passes per game: 37.8
Pass success rate: 72.5%
Key passes per game: 1.6
Shots per game: 2.5
Assists: 10
Goals: 12
Average match rating: 7.14
