Nottingham Forest have rejected Manchester City's second bid worth £122m for Elliot Anderson, demanding a British record fee of £125m before any add-ons for the England midfielder.
City's offer, which follows an initial £80m bid earlier this month, is worth a guaranteed £106m plus £16m in potential add-ons. That would break the club's record transfer of £100m paid to Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in August 2021. But Forest's owner, Evangelos Marinakis, is holding out for a package matching the £125m Newcastle received from Liverpool for Alexander Isak last summer.
“Manchester City's second £122m bid for Elliot Anderson rejected; Forest demand British record £125m.”
Anderson, 23, has made no secret of his desire to join City, and personal terms are not an issue. His preference is a move to the Etihad Stadium over Manchester United, who are now expected to end their interest after the fee escalated. United have already agreed a deal to sign Atalanta's Ederson for £35m plus add-ons and are targeting West Ham's Mateus Fernandes, valued at roughly £80m despite the Hammers' relegation.
City's pursuit has been carefully timed to avoid disrupting Anderson's World Cup preparations. The midfielder started England's 3-0 win over Costa Rica on Wednesday and is expected to start the opening match against Croatia on 17 June. Thomas Tuchel, the England manager, wants any potential transfer resolved in an orderly fashion so as not to affect the squad. Hugo Viana, City's director of football, made the second bid eight days before the Croatia game to cause minimal distraction. With that offer rejected, Viana may now return with a third – and possibly final – bid by the end of the week.
Anderson was one of Forest's star performers last season, helping them reach the Europa League semi-finals and avoid Premier League relegation. He joined from Newcastle in 2024 for £35m and has made 92 appearances, scoring six goals. City are looking to bolster their midfield after Bernardo Silva's departure at the end of his contract, with Anderson topping their list of targets.