Manchester City make £106m plus add-ons verbal offer for Elliot Anderson

Manchester City have made a verbal offer for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson in a deal worth more than £100 million, with the proposal understood to be £106 million up front and potentially more than £120 million including add-ons. Forest are open to selling the England international only if the fixed fee surpasses the British-record £125 million Liverpool paid Newcastle United for Alexander Isak last summer.

The Athletic previously reported that City had already seen an initial bid rejected earlier this month. While Manchester United also admire Anderson, they are not currently competing at these financial levels. United are unwilling to become involved in a bidding war and are instead focusing on other midfield targets, including West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes and Bournemouth’s Alex Scott.

Anderson still has three years left on the contract he signed after joining Forest from Newcastle United in summer 2023 in a £35 million transfer that also sent Odysseas Vlachodimos the other way. Forest had then valued Anderson at about £15 million, but his stock has risen sharply after a strong season in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old played in all 38 of Forest’s league matches in 2025-26, contributing four goals and four assists. He also made his England debut last September and has become an important part of the national team setup, earning a place in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad and being given the No. 8 shirt for the tournament.

City’s interest reflects their continued push to sign elite English talent, both to satisfy homegrown rules and because Premier League-proven players are seen as lower-risk additions. Anderson is viewed as a potential replacement for Bernardo Silva and fits the profile of a player who can step straight into the team.

Analyst Sam Lee noted that Anderson is highly involved in matches, with his ability to influence play standing out even in a Forest side that does not dominate possession. His goal against City in a 2-2 draw in March further underlined his quality.

City have had mixed results in recent years when trying to buy players who are expected to challenge established starters, with signings such as Kalvin Phillips and Nico Gonzalez failing to deliver the type of relatively straightforward upgrade the club hoped for. With Bernardo Silva now gone, however, City appear ready to invest heavily in a top-level midfielder who can contribute immediately.