The summer transfer window is officially burning hot, and we already have our first massive heavyweight standoff. Manchester City have made their opening move for Nottingham Forest’s midfield sensation Elliot Anderson, only to be hit with an instant, firm rejection.
With the post-Pep Guardiola era getting underway at the Etihad under incoming boss Enzo Maresca, City identified the 23-year-old England international as their absolute priority target. The English champions wanted to wrap up a deal swiftly before the World Cup kicks off in North America, but Evangelos Marinakis and the Forest board are playing hardball. They have zero intention of letting their prized asset leave on the cheap.
Reports from The Athletic indicate that while there is a reluctant acceptance at the City Ground that Anderson will eventually move on, Forest are demanding a astronomical fee. The benchmark being floated around is the £105 million Arsenal paid for Declan Rice. For a player who racked up 50 appearances this past season and became the driving heartbeat of Forest’s midfield, the club believes his value is firmly in that nine-figure territory.
City view the versatile, high-energy midfielder as the perfect replacement for Bernardo Silva, who is departing on a free transfer. Anderson’s relentless work rate, driving runs, and elite ball-retention metrics make him the ideal engine-room pillar for Maresca’s new-look side.
Interestingly, Manchester United had also been circling the midfielder, but the fierce valuation completely priced them out of the race, leading them to wrap up a deal for Atalanta’s Ederson instead. That leaves the path clear for City, but they will have to dig significantly deeper into their pockets if they want to get this done before the tournament begins.
Anderson is currently in Miami with Thomas Tuchel’s England squad, fully focused on the Three Lions’ upcoming campaign. Sources close to the player suggest he won’t agitate for a move or force Forest’s hand, meaning City’s sporting director Hugo Viana will simply have to come back with a massively improved second proposal to get Marinakis to the negotiating table.
