Man City frontrunners to sign Elliot Anderson in potential £100m deal as Tonali also targeted

Manchester City have emerged as the frontrunners to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson this summer, with the two clubs in active talks over a deal that could surpass the £100m mark.

Anderson, currently representing England at the World Cup, has been identified by City as a long-term option in the centre of midfield. England manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that players will be permitted to complete transfers and medicals while on international duty, provided the timing is handled sensibly. “It’s about common sense,” Tuchel said. “I would not like [transfers on] the day before a match, or on a matchday, that’s the policy. Maybe two days before too, but let’s see. But everything else — if it’s done privately, efficiently and quietly — then we are always happy to help. It helps to have clarity around any player. If anyone has a chance to complete a change of club we will not stand in their way.”

Anderson is not the only midfielder on City’s shortlist. Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali has also attracted interest from the Etihad, and any move for the Italian is understood to be independent of the outcome of negotiations for Anderson — meaning City could pursue both signings simultaneously.

The club’s urgency in the transfer market is driven by significant uncertainty across their midfield. Rodri, Nico Gonzalez, Mateo Kovacic, and Tijjani Reijnders all carry question marks heading into the summer window, and City have contingency plans in place to move for reinforcements depending on how those situations resolve.

Anderson, a former Newcastle academy product, joined Nottingham Forest and has developed into one of the more coveted central midfielders in the Premier League. His ability to operate as a dynamic, box-to-box presence fits the profile City are seeking as they look to reshape the engine room of Pep Guardiola’s squad.