Elliot Anderson: Manchester City's Pursuit of Nottingham Forest Star

Manchester City have had their first move for Elliot Anderson swatted away by Nottingham Forest, but the story is only just getting started.

The Premier League champions have tested Forest’s resolve with an opening offer for the 23-year-old, only to be firmly rebuffed. Forest, armed with a contract that runs until 2029 and a player whose stock is soaring by the week, know exactly how strong their hand is.

City are not alone at the table. Arsenal and Manchester United are tracking the midfielder, who has risen from promising talent to one of the division’s standout central operators since swapping Newcastle for Forest in 2024. United have already committed £34m to sign Ederson from Atalanta this week, yet Anderson sits in a different financial bracket entirely.

This is the top shelf of the market. Anderson belongs to a select group of elite midfielders expected to move, or at least be seriously courted, this summer: Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. The going rate for that calibre of player has been set by the likes of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Declan Rice, all of whom have commanded fees north of £100m in recent windows. Any deal for Anderson is likely to sit in that same stratosphere.

Forest know it. City know it. So does the rest of the league.

What has turned Anderson from a good prospect into a £100m conversation is the way he has taken control of games for a Forest side that rarely dominate the ball. He had more touches than any other central midfielder in the Premier League last season – around 3,300 – despite playing in a team that often cedes possession. He wins it back relentlessly, then uses it cleanly. He is not the line-breaking passer or chance creator Rice has become at Arsenal, but he is a machine at recovering possession and recycling it with purpose.

That is exactly what has caught City’s eye. They see a player who could slot alongside Rodri, mirroring his work in and out of possession, or even stand in for the Spaniard when required. In a squad built on control, Anderson offers exactly that: control under pressure, control without the ball, control of tempo. City also enjoy excellent relations with Forest after previous dealings, which only fuels the belief they can eventually find a number that works for both sides.

Timing, though, is everything.

In two weeks, Anderson is expected to begin his first World Cup with England, with Croatia awaiting in the opening game on June 17. Inside the England camp, Thomas Tuchel has been clear: total focus on the tournament, total commitment to the work in the Miami heat. Anderson has bought into that. Those close to him insist he is locked in on making a serious impact for his country, not on refreshing his phone for transfer updates.

That focus comes with a price for his suitors. If he performs as anticipated on the world stage, his value only goes one way. Up. For City, and any other club hoping to steal a march, the ideal scenario would be to strike before a ball is kicked in Qatar. For Forest, the opposite is true. A strong World Cup only strengthens their position.

There is also a deeply personal layer to this saga that money cannot easily cut through. Forest do not want to sell. Anderson, for his part, is in no rush to force anything. His bond with owner Evangelos Marinakis has tightened significantly since the death of his mother in April. Marinakis has been a constant presence, offering support that has clearly resonated with the player. The two have grown close in recent weeks, and Anderson is determined to respect that relationship before entertaining any serious talks about leaving.

So the market waits.

City’s first offer has been rejected. Forest sit on a long contract, a prized asset and a summer window that is only just opening. England prepare for a World Cup with a new midfield star ready to step onto the global stage. And somewhere between Manchester, Nottingham and Miami, a decision on Elliot Anderson’s future edges closer – not now, not next week, but likely in the dying embers of this window, when his World Cup story has been written and the numbers on the table finally match his rising status.