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 headline transfer stories of the summer. Anderson, fresh from a standout season at the City Ground, is understood to favour a switch to Etihad Stadium over a rival push from Manchester United, as reported by BBC Sport last week.

The sense around Forest is clear: Anderson is likely to leave. The expectation has been building for months, and City have now turned admiration into a formal bid, which The Athletic report has been rebuffed. That first answer from Forest was firm, but rarely does a saga of this scale end with the opening offer.

Anderson’s rise has been rapid. A Newcastle academy graduate who needed a platform, he found it at Forest and seized it, driving their midfield through a demanding campaign and forcing his way into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico. While he prepares for the tournament, the business behind the scenes will continue. Club-to-club negotiations do not pause for international duty.

Any deal will not be cheap. A fee for Anderson is already being discussed in the context of records, with the potential to surpass the £105m Arsenal paid West Ham for Declan Rice in 2023 and set a new benchmark for a British player. Forest know the market, know the player’s trajectory and know they are negotiating from a position of strength with multiple elite clubs circling.

For City, the timing is no accident. Captain Bernardo Silva’s departure has opened a significant hole in Pep Guardiola’s midfield, both technically and emotionally. The club want a new centrepiece in that area, and Anderson sits at the top of their list. His ability to operate between the lines, carry the ball under pressure and press aggressively fits the profile City have been tracking for some time.

He is not the only name on their board. Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali is also understood to be highly regarded at the Etihad, with reports suggesting City have monitored the Italy international as a long-term option. The interest in Tonali underlines the scale of the midfield refresh being considered, even if Anderson remains the primary target.

Change is not limited to arrivals. Nico Gonzalez, who missed out on Spain’s World Cup squad and fell out of favour under Guardiola last season, could be allowed to leave if a suitable offer lands. His situation adds another layer to City’s reshaping of their squad, with minutes and roles being recalibrated ahead of another title defence.

Attention is also turning to the right side of defence. City want a right-back to complement Matheus Nunes, 28, who impressed after being converted from midfield and used in the role this season. That experiment worked, sometimes brilliantly, but the club’s recruitment team are now pushing for a natural full-back: younger, specialist, and capable of growing into the demands of Guardiola’s system over the next cycle.

For now, the story sits with Anderson. Forest have said no once. The question is how loudly City are prepared to ask again.