Manchester City Pursues £100m Elliot Anderson Amidst Nottingham Forest Standoff

Manchester City have had their first shot blocked, but they are coming back for Elliot Anderson – and fast.

Nottingham Forest have already knocked back an opening offer for the 23-year-old midfielder, holding firm to a valuation in the region of £100 million. The message from the City Ground is clear: Anderson will not leave cheaply, not after emerging as one of England’s most complete box‑to‑box operators.

City, though, are not in retreat. Far from it.

City push on after early rejection

The Premier League champions tabled their initial bid earlier this week, only to see Forest reject it as short of their asking price. Forest’s hierarchy, led by owner Evangelos Marinakis, are understood to be driving the negotiations personally, and have previously been linked with demands as high as £125 million.

City view the deal very differently. Their internal valuation sits closer to £80 million, leaving a sizeable gap between the two clubs and setting up a tense stand-off in the coming days.

Yet the intention from Manchester is unwavering. Club sources indicate there is no appetite to walk away from their primary midfield target. Instead, City are preparing for more detailed talks aimed at finding a fee that bridges the difference between their opening offer and Forest’s £100 million stance.

The clock is ticking towards pre-season. City want this done before July.

Anderson’s stance and England green light

On the player’s side, the path is already being cleared. Anderson has been allowed to undergo a Manchester City medical during the FIFA World Cup in North America, with England manager Thomas Tuchel giving the green light for the checks to take place during the tournament.

That level of cooperation underlines how advanced City’s planning has become. Anderson, formerly of Newcastle United, has also made it known that City is his preferred destination despite interest from Manchester United. When a player of his profile aligns so clearly with one club, momentum usually follows.

For now, though, everything hinges on the numbers.

Inside City’s midfield plan

Anderson is not a short-term whim. He has sat at the top of City’s midfield shortlist for the best part of a year.

Director of football Hugo Viana and incoming manager Enzo Maresca both see him as the ideal successor to Bernardo Silva, whose departure from the Etihad has left a glaring hole in the heart of City’s structure. They want a midfielder who can press, carry, create and score – and who can handle the tactical demands that come with playing under Maresca.

Anderson ticks those boxes. That is why City are so keen to move at speed, rather than allow the saga to drift into August and disrupt their pre-season build-up under the new manager.

Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali has been identified as a serious alternative should the Forest negotiations collapse, and City are keeping that option warm. But the hierarchy remain locked on Anderson as the first-choice signing. Every move they make suggests they intend to test Forest’s resolve again, and soon.

A high-stakes gap to close

The numbers remain the only real obstacle. Reports have suggested Forest, at various stages, have floated valuations up to £125 million. City, meanwhile, are anchored closer to £80 million. Somewhere between those two figures lies the deal both clubs will try to navigate.

Marinakis, operating from the City Ground, is determined to extract maximum value for one of Forest’s prize assets. City, armed with resources but disciplined in their spending structure, will argue that their proposal reflects both market reality and Anderson’s current contract situation.

The pressure now sits squarely on the negotiation table. City want their new midfield leader in place for Maresca’s first pre-season sessions. Forest want a fee that can reshape their own squad.

Something has to give.