Nottingham Forest reject Manchester City's opening bid for Elliot Anderson

Nottingham Forest have rejected Manchester City’s opening bid for Elliot Anderson, though City’s pursuit of the England international midfielder remains active, according to The Athletic. Forest have made clear they will only entertain offers above £100 million for the 23-year-old.

Anderson joined Forest from Newcastle United in the summer of 2024 and has since established himself as one of the Premier League’s most impressive young midfielders. The interest from City is not exclusive — Manchester United had also been monitoring Anderson this summer — but Old Trafford’s hierarchy are unwilling to match the asking price. Reports also suggest Anderson himself would favour a move to City over United.

Forest manager Vitor Pereira was asked about Anderson’s future after the club’s final Premier League fixture of the season. While stopping short of a definitive answer, Pereira acknowledged the player’s quality and the realities of the transfer market. “If you ask me if he deserves the best clubs in the world, he deserves,” Pereira said. “He has a lot of quality, he is a talent. But he is our player and I am very happy with him. The market is the market, I cannot predict the market. I know we want to keep the same players, to bring two or three players to help us balance the squad. In the end, we’ll see.”

Pereira also reflected on a demanding season for Forest, who secured their top-flight status with three games to spare. “This season was very, very tight in terms of the battle of relegation,” he said. “To be safe three games before the end of the season — the last two games are very difficult in my experience. We did well, we competed, we went to a semi-final. I believe that next season we can go and do good things.”

Anderson is currently preparing for England’s involvement at the World Cup in the United States, meaning any transfer resolution is likely to wait until after the tournament concludes. City, who are expected to be active in the midfield market this summer, have signalled they intend to continue negotiations despite Forest’s firm initial stance.