City have intensified their pursuit of the Nottingham Forest midfielder while United will be looking at other options
Manchester City have sent in a second bid worth £122m for Elliot Anderson but it has been rejected by Nottingham Forest, who want a British record fee of £125m before any add-ons are considered.
The latest offer from City is understood to consist of £106m guaranteed and a further £16m in performance-related bonuses. It follows an opening bid of £80m and clearly shows the club’s determination to secure the England midfielder.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is believed to be seeking a guaranteed fee that matches or exceeds the £125m Liverpool paid Newcastle United for Alexander Isak last summer.
If City match Forest’s asking price, Anderson’s transfer would surpass the £100m they paid for Jack Grealish in 2021. The rejection leaves City with a decision to make, whether to turn away or to put in a third bid. But club officials are expected to consider a third offer and there is some expectation that they could make another bid before the end of the week.
Why are City pushing so hard for Anderson?
City’s target Anderson is highly rated both for Nottingham Forest and for England, who he will likely represent as one of the starting midfielders in this summer’s World Cup.
The 23-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough 2025-26 campaign, featuring in all 38 Premier League matches, scoring four goals and providing four assists. Those numbers do not immediately place him among the division’s elite creators but he is also competing in the league’s highest metrics in defensive work and ball progression.
With Bernardo Silva having left the club at the end of the season, City view Anderson as his long-term successor in midfield and are therefore eager to conclude a deal. The club’s willingness to break their transfer record shows the extent of that belief.
What should I know about the timing of the bid?
City has put in a second bid only days before England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday. Manager Thomas Tuchel is understood to accept that major transfers can continue during the tournament, but he is keen to minimise disruption within his squad and wants all deals to be done in an orderly fashion.
City’s football director Hugo Viana appears to have taken that into account by advancing negotiations before England’s opening game. With Forest rejecting the second bid, City will now either increase their offer quickly and secure an agreement by the weekend, or allow discussions to continue while Anderson is involved with England.
What will Manchester United do?
Manchester United have tracked Anderson for months and are big admirers, but they are unwilling to go into a bidding war as the finances involved could affect their squad planning.
They are also unwilling to pay the kind of price Forest are looking for. There was initially optimism at Old Trafford that Anderson could be persuaded to join United but the escalation of the fee given City’s two bids has effectively removed them from contention. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the club’s recruitment department are instead prioritising value and sustainability in the market.
As things stand, United are expected to end their pursuit rather than compete financially for Anderson at the quoted prices. The club’s recruitment strategy this summer has centred on targeting players who actively want to join the club and whose valuations fit within the budget established by the football department.
United also have different midfield options to choose from. West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes and Bournemouth’s Alex Scott are among the players being considered. Deals for Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali and Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni have also not been completely ruled out, although Newcastle’s asking price for Tonali and Tchouameni’s unavailability at Madrid may also mean that a move for those two does not happen.
