Nottingham Forest have rejected a second bid from Manchester City for midfielder Elliot Anderson, potentially opening the door for Manchester United to pursue the 23-year-old.
City’s latest offer, reportedly exceeding €139 million, fell short of Forest’s valuation, which is understood to be in excess of the British record transfer fee of €145 million paid for Alexander Isak last summer. The club are insistent on receiving a substantial upfront fee, rejecting the inclusion of add-ons in City’s proposal. This firm stance is, according to Fabrizio Romano, partially motivated by the continued interest from Manchester United.
Anderson has been a key player for Forest since joining from Newcastle United in 2022, playing a vital role in their successful fight to avoid relegation this past season. He has established himself as an England international, and still has three years remaining on his current contract at the City Ground, giving Forest a strong negotiating position.
While Anderson is believed to favour a move to the Etihad Stadium, United have been monitoring the situation. However, they have not yet submitted a formal offer, reportedly preferring a strategy of acquiring multiple players rather than investing a large sum in a single marquee signing ahead of their return to the Champions League. Despite this, they are aware of Anderson’s quality and would likely enter the bidding if an opportunity presents itself.
Manchester City remain determined to strengthen their midfield options this summer and are unwilling to overpay for Anderson. They are also considering alternative targets, with Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United emerging as a potential option should their pursuit of the Forest midfielder prove unsuccessful. Newcastle are likely to be aware of City’s financial capacity, potentially influencing their own valuation of Tonali.
The transfer window has only recently opened, and the market for midfielders is expected to be active throughout the summer. Further developments in this saga, and others, are anticipated in the coming weeks as clubs look to bolster their squads for the new season.
