On Wednesday afternoon, Morgan Gibbs-White was linked with a move to German giants Bayern Munich.

According to Tom Collomosse, the Bundesliga champions have added Gibbs-White to a list of potential replacements for Michael Olise, should the Frenchman leave this summer.

Olise had been linked with a big-money move to Real Madrid, but those talks went quiet, and the Spanish side are now nearing a deal to sign Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig instead.

But while Bayern's interest in Gibbs-White may not be given a reason to develop further, it has raised an important discussion.

With just two years left on his contract, what does the future look like for Gibbs-White?

And importantly, can Forest afford to lose him this summer? The short answer is no.

Earlier this summer, Gibbs-White changed agent, opting to sign with German-based agency ROOF.

The news sent shivers through the Forest fanbase, many of whom took it as a clear indication that the club's talisman wanted out.

Almost a month later, and he is still at the club, but the German champions' reported interest has not gone unnoticed.

Typically, clubs do everything in their power to avoid players entering the final two years of their contract. This usually results in either a new contract or a sale.

Neither option looks imminent for Gibbs-White, which leaves him in a strong position, and Forest in a precarious one.

But the truth is that Forest cannot afford to lose Gibbs-White now, and must accept the risk of what may follow by keeping him on his current contract.

Oliver Glasner came close to walking out at Crystal Palace over what he categorised as a lack of support from the club's hierarchy.

“We feel that we’re being abandoned. There’s no support. Everybody’s disappointed," he said after the Eagles lost 2-1 at the Stadium of Light in January.

Glasner has so far spoken glowingly about Forest's ambition since he arrived at the club.

Reflecting on his conversations with the Reds' owner, Evangelos Marinakis, he jokingly conceded that he may have met the only person more ambitious than he is.

But after publicly stating that he hoped for two new faces to be through the door in time for the Reds' training camp in Portugal, there has been just one addition – Xaver Schlager.

Almost a week after that camp ended, Forest remain in active talks for several players to bolster Glasner's squad, but the waiting game goes on for now.

Having lost Elliot Anderson earlier this summer, and no real replacement through the door yet, to lose Gibbs-White this late in the window would, make no mistake, be unforgivable.

A decision could have been made at the start of the summer, like with Anderson, to cash in at the peak of his value, and while it would have been a bold risk to lose the club's two best players, it would have been stomachable.

But doing so now would leave more than a mountain for the recruitment team to climb, and would do little to appease the new head coach.

Gibbs-White's ambition is to win, but despite that, the de facto Forest captain is happy on Trentside.

According to reports, he has been reenergised by Glasner's arrival, and is keeping a keen eye on potential additions at the City Ground this summer, which have been scarce so far.

But there is very much a world in which he renews. The issue for Forest, however, is that they do not have long to prove that they are the club where he can realise his ambition, and with big clubs like Bayern and Chelsea circling, they are in a tricky position.

With Forest also not actively looking to sell him, they seem poised to gamble on his value – the correct decision this late in the window.

Of course, every player has a price, and an irresistible offer could see him leave, but that would have to be a seismic bid.