Manchester City remain in active talks with Nottingham Forest over a deal for Elliot Anderson, with the England international determined to complete his move to the Etihad Stadium before the World Cup finals begin next week, TEAMtalk can reveal.
Late on Wednesday night, it emerged that City saw an opening bid for Anderson fail, but discussions are continuing between the clubs, and there is growing confidence that a blockbuster transfer will be agreed.
As TEAMtalk revealed in May, Anderson has already given the green light to joining City and has agreed on personal terms to join their project this summer following initial discussions.
That position has not changed, and sources have confirmed to us that the midfielder remains fully committed to making the switch should the two clubs reach an agreement.
Manchester City are now working hard behind the scenes to get a deal over the line before England’s World Cup campaign gets underway.
However, negotiations with Forest are proving complex. TEAMtalk understands that Forest value Anderson at more than £100million and believe the 23-year-old should command a fee that eclipses the £105million Arsenal paid West Ham for Declan Rice.
That fee would smash the transfer record spent by City (currently the £100m paid to Aston Villa for Jack Grealish) and the record fee ever received by Forest – and a massive uptick on their initial £40m investment.
The City Ground hierarchy regard Anderson as one of the Premier League’s premier midfield talents and are in no rush to part ways with a player who has become central to their long-term plans.
Sources have confirmed that City’s opening offer has already been rejected. Despite that setback, talks remain ongoing, and there is no sense that negotiations have broken down; in fact, there is optimism that a deal will be agreed within the next seven days….
Man City looking for swift Elliot Anderson transfer resolution
TEAMtalk can reveal that lines of communication between the two clubs remain open, with discussions continuing over a structure that could eventually satisfy all parties.
Importantly, confidence remains high that an agreement can be reached. Sources close to the situation believe there is still a strong chance of a breakthrough before the World Cup kicks off, with both clubs keen to establish clarity over Anderson’s future sooner rather than later.
The player himself is understood to be pushing for a swift resolution.
TEAMtalk understands Anderson would ideally like his future settled before England’s opening Group L match against Croatia on June 17, allowing him to focus entirely on Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup campaign without transfer speculation hanging over him.
City’s interest in Anderson has been long-standing. Sporting director Hugo Viana is a huge admirer of the midfielder and sees him as a player capable of becoming a cornerstone of the club’s next generation.
His technical quality, athleticism and versatility have made him one of the most coveted young English midfielders in the game and a priority target for the Premier League champions.
Forest, meanwhile, remain determined to secure maximum value for one of their prized assets.
While they are prepared to negotiate, their belief is that Anderson belongs in the very highest bracket of transfer valuations and should command a fee reflective of both his current ability and future potential.
For now, discussions continue. But with Anderson having already agreed in principle to the move and City pushing to strike a deal before the World Cup begins, all parties remain hopeful that one of the summer’s biggest transfers can be completed in the coming week.
Forest had earmarked Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney as their ideal successor in midfield, but it’s understood he’s now off to Everton, leaving the Tricky Trees having to turn their focus elsewhere.
As for City, they are on the brink of sealing a £50m winger exit, with Tottenham’s Xavi Simons appearing to confirm the transfer.
Want more breaking news and transfer lines from original sources? Add TEAMtalk as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.