England star might become the most expensive player ever in the Premier League with a new offer on the table
READ MORE: Man Utd start talks to sign a forgotten England player as Michael Carrick’s top target is revealed
An England World Cup star might soon set a new British transfer record, according to reports from Wednesday night.
Elliot Anderson is getting ready for his first World Cup with the Three Lions after becoming a key player under Thomas Tuchel, thanks to some great performances in midfield for Nottingham Forest.
While he’s facing one of the biggest moments in his career, there’s also plenty of talk about where he might play next season.
Manchester City have made Anderson their top midfield target this summer, especially after their captain Bernardo Silva left. City’s first offer was turned down by Forest earlier this month, but now, according to David Ornstein from The Athletic, they’ve come back with a huge bid of £106 million.
This offer is slightly higher than the previous record fee for an English player, which was set when Declan Rice moved to Arsenal in 2023. With add-ons, City’s total offer is said to go beyond £120 million.
However, Forest aren’t interested in selling for less than a guaranteed fee above the £125 million British transfer record, which Alexander Isak set when he moved from Newcastle to Liverpool last summer. This means Forest want a fixed price that’s higher than what City have offered so far.
This stiff asking price is likely to rule out Manchester United from the race. Ornstein says United don’t believe the current offers are high enough, even though they really admire Anderson. United are choosing not to get involved in any bidding war and will look at other midfield players, like Alex Scott and Mateus Fernandes.
Journalist Ben Jacobs agrees, saying that even though United see Anderson as a “dream” player, they don’t want to get caught up in a bidding war and think Anderson would rather go to City anyway. Instead, they’re focusing on other targets like Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, who has been linked with them before.
Anderson is just one of several England players linked with big moves, and Tuchel has said he won’t block any transfers. Before the tournament, he said: “It’s about common sense. I wouldn’t like deals happening right before or on matchdays. Maybe two days before is okay, but we’ll see.
“But if it’s done privately and quietly, we’re happy to help. It’s good to have clarity about any player. If someone has the chance to change clubs, we won’t stand in their way.”