Elliott Anderson’s transfer saga officially began when Nottingham Forest turned down an initial offer from Manchester City.
Anderson is one of the hottest names in the summer transfer window, with several top clubs, including two Manchester clubs, chasing him.
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Man City expect opening bid for Elliott Anderson to be rejected
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Manchester City have made a formal offer to Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliott Anderson. Forest quickly rejected their initial bid, but City’s pursuit of the England international remains ongoing.
The City Ground club are under no pressure to sell cheaply and are looking to secure the best possible contract for the 23-year-old if he leaves this summer.
The benchmark for elite midfielders in the Premier League has skyrocketed over the last few years. Fellow midfield stars Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandes and Declan Rice all moved for fees in excess of £100m.
In particular, the total £105m that Arsenal agreed to pay West Ham for Rice in July 2023 is seen by some industry insiders as the threshold price that a suitor would have to beat in order to secure Anderson.
The foundations for potential negotiations may already be laid at the highest levels.
According to reports, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak met at a UEFA Champions League dinner in Budapest last Thursday, an event attended by a number of senior football officials.
But he added that there was no suggestion that the two executives actively negotiated for Mr. Anderson during the dinner.
If Anderson’s move goes through, it would add to a summer of mass transitions at the Etihad Stadium.
City are already going through a period of major change with the departure of Josep Guardiola after a legendary 10-year tenure and the departure of experienced dressing room leaders John Stones and Bernardo Silva.
Man United still desperate to sign Anderson
Manchester United also have a long-standing interest in the Forest star as they look to rebuild their midfield.
In fact, one of the reasons Man City moved quickly to sign Anderson may be to finalize the deal as quickly as possible.
Romano revealed last week that he is keen to sign the England midfielder as he is aware that Man City are “keep calling” for Anderson.
Romano said of Anderson on his YouTube channel: “Don’t forget Manchester City are also continuing to push to sign Elliott Anderson from Nottingham Forest.
“They know Manchester United are still making calls, but Manchester City are still pushing.
“I said in March that they were always the favorite to sign Elliott Anderson.
“They have decided to do that. They want to offer the player a really important contract, so they have already taken some approaches.
“So I believe Man City can really seduce Elliott Anderson and that hasn’t changed, including Enzo Maresca. City are going to sign Anderson.”
“It’s not just Guardiola. Now that they have Maresca, City are still after him. Let’s see what happens at Nottingham Forest. Man Utd are still trying.”
