Manchester City’s Bid for Elliot Anderson Rejected by Nottingham Forest

Manchester City have had their first move for Elliot Anderson knocked back, but the Premier League champions are not expected to walk away.

Nottingham Forest have rejected an opening offer for the 23-year-old midfielder, who is emerging as one of the most sought-after players in Europe after a standout season at the City Ground. City’s bid, reported by The Athletic, formalised an interest that has been building for months.

Anderson, a Newcastle academy graduate, is currently with Thomas Tuchel’s England squad preparing for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Even from camp, though, his club future hangs over the summer. BBC Sport reported last week that the England international is leaning towards a move to the Etihad Stadium rather than Manchester United, a stance that has only sharpened City’s intent.

Forest know they hold a major asset. Anderson drove their midfield last season, mixing work-rate with incision and influence in big moments, and there is a growing expectation he will leave the City Ground in this window. The question now is not whether the offers arrive, but how high the price will climb.

Any deal is likely to smash records. A potential fee for Anderson is expected to challenge, and possibly surpass, the British transfer record Arsenal set when they paid £105m to sign Declan Rice from West Ham in 2023. For Forest, that would be transformative money. For City, it would be the cost of securing the next pillar of a midfield in transition.

Bernardo Silva’s departure has opened a sizeable gap in Pep Guardiola’s squad. City want a player who can step straight into a title-chasing side and stay there for a decade. Anderson sits at the top of that list, admired not just for his technical quality but for his tactical intelligence and versatility, traits City value heavily.

He is not the only name under consideration. Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali is also understood to be highly rated inside the Etihad, with the Italy international monitored as a long-term target. City are tracking profiles rather than scrambling for short-term fixes, building a midfield that can evolve as their established stars move on.

Change may not be limited to arrivals. Nico Gonzalez, who missed out on Spain’s World Cup squad and slipped out of favour under Guardiola last season, could leave if a suitable offer lands. His situation underlines the shifting landscape in City’s engine room: places are no longer guaranteed, even for those who once looked central to the project.

The reshaping extends to the back line. City are in the market for a right-back to support and eventually succeed the makeshift solution that emerged this season. Matheus Nunes, 28, excelled after being converted from midfield into the role, but the club want a natural full-back, young enough to grow into the position and moulded in their style from day one.

For now, all eyes return to Anderson. Forest have sent a clear message with their first rejection, but they also know the market they are operating in and the calibre of clubs circling their star. City, armed with resources and a clear plan, rarely stop at one bid.

The opening offer has been rebuffed. The real negotiation is only just beginning.