Nottingham Forest appear to be testing their chances of signing a long-term successor for star midfielder Elliott Anderson, with the English player now in serious demand.
Elliott Anderson has a lot of interest heading into 2026
Anderson has emerged as one of the most coveted midfielders in English football following his sensational performances for Forest this season, with Man City reportedly establishing themselves as favorites to sign him, despite the club’s eye-watering £100m asking price.
The 23-year-old has exploded onto the Forest scene since leaving Newcastle in 2024, a move that originally stemmed from pressure from the Magpies’ PSR.
Anderson has transformed into one of England’s most promising players, cementing his place in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.
City are particularly ‘fascinated’ by Anderson’s abilities, with Etihad scouts apparently having watched the midfielder more than 10 times this season (Sky Switzerland).
According to reports, manager Josep Guardiola considers Andersson to be Rodri’s perfect successor and an ideal fit in his system, praising the youngster’s versatility to function as both a holding midfielder and a box-to-box number eight.
Most importantly, Anderson is said to have privately informed his agent that City is his preferred destination if he leaves the City Ground.
The revelation gives the Premier League title contenders a decisive advantage over fierce rivals Man United, who have named Anderson as a priority target for the midfield in 2026.
Arsenal list Arteta’s beloved Nottingham Forest star as ‘top target’
Spaniards are big fans.
But Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has remained adamant about his assessment, demanding a potential fee of more than £100m for the player, who is contracted until 2029.
Anderson has been exceptional for Forest throughout the season, winning more duels than any other player in the Premier League this season.
His combative presence, defensive tenacity and progressive passing have attracted attention across Europe, with Liverpool rumored to be monitoring his situation closely.
With his departure unlikely until the summer, Forest are determined to hold on to their valuable asset in January.
A standout performance in next summer’s tournament could further boost Anderson’s valuation, but Anderson is thought to prefer Eastlands, suggesting City have the upper hand when negotiations ultimately heat up.
Tricky Trees have begun succession planning as Sean Dyche faces the immediate threat of star midfielder next year.
Nottingham Forest approach Atalanta sensation Sergey Levak
According to TUTTOmercatoWEB’s Andrea Rosapio, Forest have approached Atalanta’s under-23 midfielder Sergei Levak.
The 19-year-old has made a huge impression since joining from Roma last summer, scoring three goals in 13 appearances in Group C of Serie C in his professional debut for Atalanta’s ‘B team’.
His performances have attracted attention in several areas, with Forest manager taking a preliminary approach to assess Levac’s availability.
Levak stands at 6ft 4in with a combination of technical ability and physical presence, and has been compared to former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic.
Atalanta moved quickly to sign him, with strong competition from Genoa, Parma, Juventus and Inter Milan, all of whom were looking to sign him through their respective Under-23 set-ups before promoting him to the top flight.
Beyond Forest’s interest, several Serie C clubs have expressed an interest in securing Levac’s services, along with various European sides.
But sources say Roma had doubts about his abilities before his departure, making Atalanta’s quick intervention particularly shrewd.
Bergamo have an important decision to make regarding Levac’s future. Options include allowing him to complete his debut season with the Under-23s or receiving offers from clubs in various leagues in January.
The Croatian sensation is quite an unknown, but Forest’s interest likely indicates they have scouts operating in Italy to unearth the best talent.
