- Manchester City have long been interested in Elliot Anderson
- Nottingham Forest have received an opening bid for him
- It has unsurprisingly been rejected by the East Midlands club
Manchester City have taken their Elliot Anderson interest to the next step, but some negotiations will be required before securing his services.
Elliot Anderson has been on Man City’s radar for months, with a two-way battle emerging between themselves and Manchester United.
However, the Citizens have already got the better of their local rivals, as Anderson has agreed terms and is ready for a move.
Despite this, there is still work to be done. After all, Nottingham Forest are not looking to sell Anderson, and City value the midfielder at a lower fee than what Vitor Pereira’s team have in mind.
Nottingham Forest reject Man City’s opening bid
According to The Athletic, Man City have made an offer for Anderson. This comes after club bosses spoke at a UEFA dinner last week, although that may well have had nothing to do with this situation.
Nottingham Forest have rejected the bid, with the club believed to be demanding more than £100m for the England international.
The positive news for City is that the Red Devils are not looking to meet Forest’s asking price, and now see other midfield candidates as more credible.
Therefore, it appears it is only the Sky Blues who are currently looking to agree a deal to sign Anderson.
Anderson will not be signed at a discounted price
With Evangelos Marinakis personally handling negotiations, Man City would be naive to expect a cut-price deal.
He is arguably the toughest negotiator in the Premier League, while Anderson is Nottingham Forest’s prized asset.
Not only will he be playing at the World Cup, but the 23-year-old is now regarded as one of the top flight’s best midfielders.
And considering how much players have been sold for in recent years, paying less than £100m for Anderson seems like quite the long shot.
Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Declan Rice were all signed for close to this figure, so the situation City find themselves in is likely to be no different.
Man City need to secure Anderson
Quite clearly, Anderson is Man City’s first choice midfield target. Therefore, getting a deal over the line is of great importance.
With Bernardo Silva out of the picture, signing a new central player has become the biggest need in the squad.
So City must do whatever it takes to bring in Anderson. It seems he wants the move, so now it is just a case of convincing Forest to sell.
There is still plenty of time, as the transfer window has not even opened yet. However, to avoid any hijack attempts, the sooner a deal is complete, the better.
