Manchester City's pursuit of Elliot Anderson has sent shockwaves through the Premier League, with rivals fearing a record-breaking transfer fee will inflate the market. Nottingham Forest are demanding over £120 million for the 23-year-old midfielder, having already rejected two eye-watering bids from the reigning champions.
Record Fee Fears
City's second offer of £120 million was turned down last week, and Forest are holding out for a package worth £130 million. That would surpass the current British record of £125 million, set when Alexander Isak joined Liverpool last summer. The prospect of such a fee has alarmed other top-flight clubs, who worry about a knock-on effect on player valuations.
Manchester United, also admirers of Anderson, have cooled their interest due to the numbers involved. According to Mirror Football, City are prepared to walk away if the deal becomes too expensive.
Anderson's Profile
Anderson is currently in the United States preparing for England's World Cup opener against Croatia. Despite only eight England caps and no Champions League experience, the midfielder is keen on a move to the Etihad. Forest paid Newcastle just £15 million for him in 2024, meaning a £130 million sale would represent an eight-fold increase.
Ripple Effects
The Telegraph reports that Premier League clubs fear a knock-on effect. One deal that could be impacted is Arsenal's pursuit of Morgan Rogers. Aston Villa are expected to raise their asking price for the 23-year-old, who has 13 England caps, a Champions League hat-trick, and a Europa League win with Villa last season. Both Manchester United and Chelsea are also interested in Rogers.
Villa do not want to sell Rogers but may be forced into a big sale to avoid another breach of UEFA's financial rules. Anderson's Forest teammate Morgan Gibbs-White is also attracting interest this summer.
Other Transfer News
Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez is angling for a departure, with the Blues slapping a £120 million price tag on him amid interest from Real Madrid. Chelsea broke the British transfer record in January 2023 by signing Fernandez for £106.8 million. Since then, Arsenal paid £105 million for Declan Rice, Liverpool shelled out £115 million on Florian Wirtz, and £125 million on Isak.
Premier League clubs spent a combined £3.087 billion in last summer's transfer window, eclipsing the previous record of £2.36 billion set in 2023.
