Manchester City are considering walking away from a deal to sign Elliot Anderson after Nottingham Forest rejected a second offer worth £120m for the England midfielder, sources have told the Mirror.
City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak is not prepared to get into a bidding war over the 23-year-old, believing the offer — made up of £100m plus £20m in add-ons — is fair for a player who has not yet played in the Champions League. The proposal would have made Anderson the most expensive English player in history, surpassing Jude Bellingham’s £115m move to Real Madrid and Declan Rice’s £105m transfer to Arsenal.
“Manchester City consider walking away from £120m Elliot Anderson deal after Nottingham Forest reject second bid.”
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is holding out for the overall fee to be paid in full, with the Guardian reporting he wants a British record £125m — matching the fee Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak last summer. City’s initial bid of £80m was also turned down earlier this month.
Anderson has made it clear he wants to join City ahead of Manchester United and Chelsea, and personal terms are not an issue, according to BBC Sport. United are effectively out of the running, having not wanted to enter a bidding war and only wanting players eager to join them.
The pursuit comes as City look to bolster their midfield following Bernardo Silva’s departure at the end of his contract. Incoming manager Enzo Maresca views Anderson as a long-term replacement for Rodri, who has been linked with a return to Spain. The 23-year-old joined Forest from Newcastle for £35m in 2024 and has made 92 appearances, scoring six goals.
City director of football Hugo Viana timed the second bid for eight days before England’s World Cup opener against Croatia to minimise disruption, the Guardian reports. But with Forest’s rejection, Viana may now return with a third — and possibly final — offer by the end of the week, or walk away altogether. Al-Mubarak has shown in the past he is prepared to pull out of negotiations if he feels he is being held to ransom, as he did when Liverpool signed Virgil van Dijk in 2018.
Anderson, currently on World Cup duty with England, started the 3-0 friendly win over Costa Rica on Wednesday. England boss Thomas Tuchel said after the match: “He’s a top player. There’s nothing more to say, he’s the full package. I’m happy that he’s with us on that kind of level and he’s a key player for us.” Asked about the bid, Tuchel added: “No comment! He seems not affected. It was an amazing performance against Costa Rica, he’s fine.”
City have pursued Anderson for several months and remain keen, but the deal must be right for them. Whether Forest’s hardline stance ultimately scuppers the move — or forces City to pay a British record fee — will become clear in the coming days.