Elliot Anderson Transfer Saga: Manchester City Tests Nottingham Forest
Manchester City have had their first move for Elliot Anderson knocked back, but the story is only just getting started.
The Premier League champions have tested Nottingham Forest’s resolve with an initial offer for the 23-year-old midfielder, only to be told to come back with more. Forest can afford to be bold. Anderson is tied down until 2029, is coming off a breakout season, and is about to walk into an England World Cup squad with his stock rising by the week.
City remain in pole position, but they are not alone. Arsenal and Manchester United are circling the same prize. United have already struck a £34m agreement for Ederson from Atalanta, yet their interest in Anderson underlines how highly the Forest man is rated at the top end of the market.
This is the summer of the elite No 8. Anderson sits in a small, expensive bracket of central midfielders expected to move, alongside Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. Clubs with serious ambitions are shopping in the same aisle.
Forest, though, hold the strongest hand.
Forest name their price — without naming it
With five years left on his deal, Forest can negotiate from a position of unusual strength. They know the going rate. Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Declan Rice — all have gone for fees north of £100m in recent windows. Anderson is being talked about in that company, and any deal is expected to land in that financial territory.
City admire how he has transformed since leaving Newcastle for Forest in 2024. He arrived as a promising talent; he has grown into one of the Premier League’s most complete central midfielders. Relations between Forest and City are described as excellent, which helps, but goodwill does not knock tens of millions off the price.
The numbers from last season tell the story of his influence. Anderson registered the most touches of any central midfielder in the league — around 3,300 — in a Forest side that rarely dominates the ball. That is a staggering workload. He recovers possession like a specialist destroyer, then uses it with the calm of a deep-lying playmaker. He is not the line-breaking chance creator Rice has become at Arsenal, but in terms of control, presence and influence, he belongs in the same conversation.
Drop that profile into City’s midfield and the fit is obvious. He could sit alongside Rodri and suffocate games, or step in for the Spaniard when required. For a manager obsessed with control, Anderson offers exactly that.
The timing, though, is delicate.
Race against the World Cup clock
England open their World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 17. Anderson is heading into his first major tournament, and those close to him insist his focus is locked on that stage. Thomas Tuchel has made it clear he expects full attention on preparations in the Miami heat, with no distractions.
From City’s perspective, the clock is ticking. If they want anything resembling value, they will try to close a deal before the tournament begins. Once Anderson steps onto the world stage and, as many expect, performs, his price is only likely to climb. Every successful tackle, every composed touch under pressure, will add a few more million to Forest’s internal valuation.
Forest know that too. So does the player.
Loyalty, loss and a complicated decision
This is not a simple career move for Anderson. Behind the numbers and the noise sits a personal story that weighs heavily on his thinking.
Forest do not want to sell. Anderson, for his part, feels a deep loyalty to owner Evangelos Marinakis. Since the death of Anderson’s mother in April, Marinakis has offered close, personal support. Those inside the club talk about how that relationship has strengthened in recent weeks, how the owner’s care has left a lasting mark on the player.
Anderson wants any decision about his future to respect that bond. Before he even entertains the idea of leaving, he intends to speak properly with Marinakis and the club’s hierarchy. For now, England comes first. Everything else waits.
That is why the saga may drift towards the back end of the window. If no agreement is reached before the World Cup, the real negotiations are likely to ignite once his tournament is over and the dust has settled on his debut on the global stage.
City have made their first move and been turned away. The champions rarely walk from their top targets, but Forest are under no pressure to blink. The question now is simple: who gives ground first — the club that built him, or the club that believes he can define their next era in midfield?
