Manchester City’s Bid for Elliot Anderson Rejected by Nottingham Forest

Manchester City have had their first move for Elliot Anderson knocked back, but the Premier League champions are not expected to walk away.

Nottingham Forest have rejected an opening bid from City for the 23-year-old midfielder, whose future at the City Ground looks increasingly short-term. Interest from both sides of Manchester has been building, yet Anderson is understood to favour a switch to Etihad Stadium over Manchester United, a stance reported by BBC Sport last week.

For Forest, this is the moment they always knew was coming. Anderson has just delivered a standout season, driving their midfield and forcing his way into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup. Perform like that in the Premier League, do it at 23, and the elite will come calling.

They already have.

Record-breaking numbers on the table

Any deal for Anderson is expected to come at a price that would reshape the British transfer market. A fee could surpass the £105m Arsenal paid West Ham for Declan Rice in 2023, setting a new benchmark for a homegrown player. Forest know they hold a premium asset; City know they are paying for peak years and instant impact.

City’s admiration for Anderson runs deep. A Newcastle academy graduate, he has long been on their radar and now sits at the top of their midfield shortlist. While he prepares with England for the World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, negotiations between the clubs can continue in the background. The timing is awkward, but the stakes are too high for anyone to pause.

The rejected bid feels like the opening move in a transfer chess match rather than the end of the conversation.

City’s midfield reshuffle

Bernardo Silva’s departure has created a hole in the heart of City’s side, both technically and emotionally. City are not looking for a like-for-like replacement; they are looking for the next pillar of their midfield. In their eyes, Anderson fits that brief.

He is not the only name on their board. Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali is also understood to be highly rated within the club, with the Italy international monitored as a long-term option. That interest underlines City’s determination to refresh the core of their team while they still sit on top of English football.

One player who may find himself edged towards the exit is Nico Gonzalez. The Spaniard missed out on a place in the Spain squad for the World Cup and slipped out of favour under Pep Guardiola last season. If the right offer arrives, City are prepared to listen, and that would open even more space for a new midfield leader.

Full-back next on the agenda

Midfield is not the only area under review. City are also working on strengthening at right-back after Matheus Nunes, 28, impressed when converted from midfield to the role this season. His performances solved a short-term problem, but City want a specialist there for the long term.

They are targeting a young, natural full-back who can grow into the role and evolve with the team’s next cycle. It is the same logic driving their pursuit of Anderson: buy players who can define the next five years, not just survive the next season.

For now, Forest have stood firm and City have been told to come back with more. With a World Cup on the horizon, a record fee in play and Europe’s most ruthless recruiters at the table, the only real question is how long they can keep Anderson at the City Ground.