Nottingham Forest remain in a solid position in one of the summer’s biggest transfer moves as they continue to reject a huge bid from Man City for star midfielder Elliott Anderson.
City’s latest approach has already been turned down, despite the Premier League giants taking their offer to a level that sets new standards.
But Forest remain undeterred, holding out for a record valuation before considering a sale.
The England international has quickly developed into one of Forest’s most important players and the attitude of the club shows how highly regarded he is at the City Ground.
The city’s interest is not surprising.
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Anderson has been identified as a priority target after making his breakthrough in the 2025/26 season and establishing himself as one of the most complete young midfielders in the Premier League.
Manchester United are also closely monitoring developments, but are thought to be reluctant to embark on a full-fledged bidding war for the player given the current numbers requested by manager Forest.
This puts City in pole position for the time being, but negotiations remain at a standstill without an agreement from the selling club.
According to the latest reports, Forest have rejected City’s second bid of around £106m, which was structured as a major guarantee fee with an additional £15m added on.
Even that package, which was supposed to be a club record for City, fell short of what Forest would consider acceptable.
The East Midlands club are now understood to be demanding a fixed fee of more than £120m, refusing to be subject to extra fees or future incentives (Fabrizio Romano).
Their rating reflects both Anderson’s importance on the field and the 23-year-old’s long-term potential.
That said, it is hoped that City will eventually manage to get a deal done, with Forest potentially making contingency plans to replace the former Newcastle star behind the scenes.
Sky Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi is back on the Tricky Trees agenda after an on-again, off-again relationship in January.
According to a report in Di Marzio, Forest manager has made inquiries about Frattesi but faces competition from Serie A powerhouse Napoli for the 26-year-old.
Frattesi played 33 games in all competitions for Inter last season and provided three assists from his position in Anderson’s central midfield, but the majority of his minutes came as a substitute on the bench.
But for now, Anderson remains at the center of Forrest’s coverage.
Forest’s position is clear. No matter the size of your offer, you will never be forced to sell.
Having already rejected multiple bids from the City, the message from the board is that only an unusually record-level offer will change the City’s position.
With United circling at the back and Forest considering contingency options like Frattesi, this is shaping up to be one of the defining transfer battles of the summer window.
For now, Forest have been solid and Anderson’s price continues to rise.
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