Forest midfielder has attracted interest from both Manchester United and Manchester City after his impressive season
Not a lot of people knew who Elliot Anderson was at the end of last season. A year later and he seems a shoo-in for England’s squad at this summer’s World Cup, and he has a price tag in the region of £100m and is being hunted by two of the biggest clubs in the Premier League.
Anderson has been great for Nottingham Forest all season, and on Sunday he scored a late equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Newcastle, earning them a point that moved them closer to Premier League survival after Harvey Barnes had put Newcastle ahead.
Manager Vitor Pereira said afterwards that Anderson deserves “the top of the world” and then appeared to suggest the midfielder could leave the City Ground in the summer.
Anderson’s goal on Sunday came less than two days after the funeral of his mother, Helen, who recently died. Pereira praised the midfielder’s commitment and emotional strength following the match.
“It’s difficult for me, and everybody, to understand what he is feeling inside of him,” Pereira said. “I believe that he is honouring his mother, going inside the pitch and running until the last metre, until the last breath.”
Anderson has attracted interest from both Manchester United and Manchester City after his impressive season, although United are reportedly unwilling to go into any bidding war.
Asked whether Anderson would remain at the club next season, Pereira admitted he could not guarantee it. “I cannot say [whether he will stay], I don’t have the answer. I know he deserves the top of the world,” Pereira said.
“I know that he’s our player, and we need to enjoy him because I have worked with the top talent players, but to find a top player with this character is not easy.”
Pereira also revealed his coaching staff noticed Anderson’s sharpness during the pre-match warm-up. “In the warm-up, my assistants, they said to me, ‘Elliot is on fire today.’ Every time that he shot on goal, he scored,” Pereira said.
“He had the funeral of his mother two days ago, I didn’t speak with him, but I believe that he wants to honour his mother with a goal. I believe that’s why he tried until the last minute to score a goal, because this is the way that he found to go on the pitch and to give everything to play for.”
Newcastle coach Eddie Howe said it was painful to see Anderson score against his old and described the midfielder’s 2024 departure as “the most reluctant transfer” of his career.
Anderson joined Forest from Newcastle in a £35m move that helped the Magpies comply with Premier League profit and sustainability rules.
“It was something we regretted when we were doing it,” Howe said. “We knew that would be a very, very painful transfer, one that we had to do. We had no choice, but it was probably the most reluctant transfer I’ll ever do, because we knew the quality of the player.”
