Manchester City lead race for Elliot Anderson as Forest brace for exit

Manchester City have moved into pole position for Elliot Anderson, with Manchester United still in pursuit of the Nottingham Forest midfielder as his value rises sharply after a breakout year at the City Ground.

Forest signed Anderson from Newcastle United on 1 July 2024 on a five-year contract, and the 23-year-old has since become an England senior international. His path has added to the premium attached to his name: Anderson represented Scotland from U16 through U21 level before switching allegiance to England, and his England call-up has only strengthened the sense that one of the Premier League’s fastest-rising midfielders is now at the center of a major bidding battle.

The numbers explain the attention. Anderson has made 119 Premier League appearances in his career, scoring six goals and setting up 13 more. This season alone he has played 38 league matches, scored four goals and delivered four assists, form that has made him one of Forest’s most important players and a realistic target for clubs chasing immediate quality rather than long-term projection.

For Manchester City, the chase fits a familiar recruitment pattern: securing young, Premier League-proven talent before the market becomes even more inflated. Anderson is homegrown, already adapted to the league and still only 23, a combination that makes him especially valuable for clubs balancing squad planning, registration rules and the rising cost of buying ready-made midfielders. Manchester United are also firmly in the frame, but current reporting suggests City are leading that race.

Forest, meanwhile, are bracing for the possibility that Anderson’s stay at the City Ground could be brief. Vitor Pereira has already said the club may struggle to keep him this summer, a public acknowledgement that reflects both Anderson’s importance and the market pressure around him. Forest have also highlighted his rise on the club’s official channels, underlining how quickly a signing can become a selling asset when form, age and international status align.

Stuart Pearce said he felt “great pride” when Anderson received his England World Cup squad call-up, a sentiment that captures Forest’s own dilemma. Anderson has become too valuable to ignore and too expensive to replace cheaply, and the growing expectation is that a record-level deal may be needed before the summer closes.