Manchester City have been rebuffed for a second time in their pursuit of Elliot Anderson, with Nottingham Forest rejecting a £122m offer and holding out for a British record fee of £125m – the same amount Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak last summer.
City’s bid, worth a guaranteed £106m plus £16m in add-ons, would have broken the club’s previous record of £100m paid to Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in August 2021. But Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, is understood to want the basic £125m fee, meaning the two clubs are still apart.
“Forest reject Manchester City's £122m bid for Elliot Anderson, demanding British record £125m.”
The 23-year-old midfielder, who helped Bristol Rovers win promotion from League Two four years ago, is now on the verge of becoming the most expensive British footballer ever. His stellar performances for Forest – and eight caps this season under England boss Thomas Tuchel – have made him a central figure in both club and country.
Tuchel is expected to name Anderson alongside Declan Rice in midfield when England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday, 17 June (21:00 BST). The German coach is a realist about transfers during a tournament, but wants any move handled in an orderly fashion to avoid unsettling his squad.
Hugo Viana, City’s director of football, timed the second bid eight days before the Croatia game to minimise disruption to the player and England. After this rejection, Viana may now return with a third – and possibly final – offer by the end of the week.
Manchester United had also shown intent to beat their cross-town rivals to Anderson, but with the price so high it is understood they may end their interest.
Anderson was eligible for Scotland through his Glasgow-born grandmother and was selected by Steve Clarke for a Euro 2024 qualifier against Cyprus, but pulled out through injury before opting for England. He helped the Three Lions win the European Under-21 Championship last summer, scoring an injury-time penalty in the quarter-final win over Spain, and was named in the tournament’s best XI.
He carried that form into a chaotic Forest season, playing under four managers in a successful relegation battle. In the 3-0 win at Tottenham in December, he created three chances, completed 38 passes, won possession nine times and made six tackles – more than any teammate in each category. His commitment and positional awareness have impressed staff, though his relentless work-rate means he can often tire himself out.
Now, as he prepares to face Croatia on the world stage, his club future hangs in the balance. Forest view him as a potential complete player – and they are demanding a record price to prove it.