Manchester City are planning a £75million swoop for Nottingham Forest’s rising star Elliot Anderson. However, City manager Pep Guardiola is likely to face stiff competition from Premier League rivals Chelsea. Guardiola has been closely monitoring Anderson’s progress and has become a big fan of the England international.
Anderson has become one of Guardiola’s top transfer targets, should he decide to bolster his midfield next summer. Nico Gonzalez has struggled to break into the starting XI, while questions linger over Rodri’s long-term future. The Ballon d’Or winner is being eyed by Real Madrid, and could be tempted to join the Spanish giants if he fails to agree a new deal with City.
Plus, the Spanish international has struggled for fitness following a stint on the sidelines with an ACL injury.
Anderson won’t be short of suitors next summer, with Chelsea also eager to tempt him to Stamford Bridge. The Forest gem moved to the East Midlands outfit as part of a £35m deal from Newcastle in 2024, and has since emerged as one of the Premier League’s brightest talents.
His progress was acknowledged by Thomas Tuchel, who gave him his first England call up in August and since then, the 22-year-old has earned three caps and cemented his place in Tuchel’s team.
He is expected to be named in Tuchel’s final squad for the World Cup in North America next summer and could even make up part of the starting XI for the tournament.
And if he returns from the finals having proven himself on the world’s biggest stage, his value is expected to skyrocket. If City opt to pursue the starlet, the club’s management would aim to secure a deal with Forest prior to the tournament’s commencement; meanwhile, Anderson himself would prefer to enter the tournament without any uncertainty surrounding his future.
Commenting on the midfielder last month, Tuchel said: “He’s just a very, very good football player. He has the physicality, he’s very mobile at No 6. He has the body, he loves to defend, he loves to put his body inside to duels. He loves passing, he loves to break the lines, he’s very mobile in this game. It was a pleasure to see.
“I think the team around him made it as easy as possible for him and he had a very strong performance. I think he showed today that he adapts to the situation. Can he show what he showed in training? Can he show what he showed with Nottingham and the under-21s? He played with a lot of freedom. He was very quickly in the flow.”