Manchester City believe they will win the race to sign Elliot Anderson this summer – and will get his signature before the World Cup.
Anderson has shone for Forest since joining from Newcastle in 2024, emerging as one of the Premier League’s most sought-after stars in the past 18 months. He has pushed himself into the England team and is likely to start for Thomas Tuchel in the heart of midfield at this summer’s World Cup.
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His rise has seen a host of the Premier League’s so-called elite circle, with Anderson becoming a target for not only City, but also the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham.
But it is the top brass at the Etihad who are increasingly confident of landing Anderson in a £65million deal, after making him one of their top targets.
City are right at the head of the queue for the 23-year-old and believe they can get a deal over the line as soon as the current campaign ends – with Anderson having made it known that moving to City is his No.1 choice.
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Getting a deal done early makes sense to City, as it would avoid the risk of Anderson’s price tag ballooning should he have a successful tournament. City and Forest have good relations at board level, working to get a deal done for James McAtee last summer, but the question is whether Forest are open to dealing before the finals in USA, Canada and Mexico, or hold out in the hope of landing extra money post-tournament.
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That is far from a given however, particularly given the financial situation of clubs across Europe, and with Anderson wanting to move to the blue half of Manchester.
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Anderson has established himself as one of the best young midfielders in the Premier League this season and has made huge progress since he joined Forest, making 83 appearances for the club since his arrival.
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He only received his first England call-up in August for World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia and had to wait until the following month to make his debut in a 2-0 win over Andorra. Since then he has made a major impression on Tuchel, who will pair him with Declan Rice at the heart of the Three Lions’ midfield when the finals begin in June.
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