Nottingham Forest's £116m Anderson windfall could fund £35m Curtis Jones sale to rivals

Manchester City’s reported £116m signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest is set to have significant knock-on consequences at Anfield, with Forest understood to be seriously considering a move for Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones as Anderson’s replacement.

Jones, 25, is entering the final year of his contract at Liverpool, a situation that has materially reduced his transfer value. According to the Daily Mail, Forest view the homegrown midfielder as a credible solution in the centre of the park, and Liverpool are believed to be willing to listen to offers — though not at the level of the £21.7m Inter Milan reportedly tabled last week. The Merseysiders are said to expect closer to £35m for the player.

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola is only a fortnight into his first summer transfer window at the club, and business is already accelerating. The Reds have spent £34.5m to recruit Victor Munoz from Osasuna and have a pre-agreed deal in place to bring Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes for a fee that could reach £60m.

Jones has publicly stated his desire to spend his entire career at Liverpool, but with just 12 months remaining on his deal, the club faces a familiar dilemma: sell now and recoup a meaningful fee, offer a new contract, or risk losing him for nothing next summer. The current expectation, according to reports, is that Liverpool will opt to cash in this window.

On the incoming front, the picture is more complicated. City have reportedly entered the race to sign Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, a target Liverpool had been tracking. The Morocco international had already attracted significant interest before the summer, and City’s involvement raises the competitive stakes for any club pursuing him.

Iraola’s squad overhaul is therefore taking shape on multiple fronts simultaneously — with the Jones situation potentially freeing up funds that could be redirected toward reinforcements, even as rivals move to complicate Liverpool’s pursuit of their own targets.