Nottingham Forest are standing firm in one of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer, with the club continuing to reject huge bids from Man City for star midfielder Elliot Anderson.
City’s latest approach has already been turned down, despite the Premier League giants increasing their offer to a level that would have set a new benchmark.
Forest, however, remain unmoved and are holding out for a record-breaking valuation before even considering a sale.
The England international has quickly developed into one of Forest’s most important players, and the club’s stance shows just how highly he is valued at the City Ground.
City’s interest is no surprise.
You scored
out of 20
Anderson has been identified as a priority target after a breakout 2025/26 campaign in which he established himself as one of the most complete young midfielders in the Premier League.
Man United have also monitored developments, but are believed to be reluctant to enter a full-scale bidding war at the current figures being demanded by Forest.
That leaves City in pole position for now, but without agreement from the selling club, negotiations remain at a standstill.
According to the latest reports, Forest have rejected City’s second bid of around £106m, which was structured as a major guaranteed fee with an additional £15m in add-ons.
Even that package, which would’ve been a club-record for City, fell short of what Forest consider acceptable.
The East Midlands club are now understood to be demanding more than £120 million as a fixed fee, refusing to be swayed by add-ons or future incentives (Fabrizio Romano).
Their valuation reflects both Anderson’s importance on the pitch and his long-term potential at just 23 years old.
This all being said, there is an expectation City manage to get the deal done eventually, and behind the scenes, Forest could be making contingency plans to replace the ex-Newcastle star.
Sky Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has reported that Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi is back on the Tricky Trees’ agenda after repeated links in January.
Di Marzio reports that Forest have inquired about Frattesi, but face competition from Serie A heavyweights Napoli for the 26-year-old.
Frattesi made 33 appearances in all competitions for Inter last term, bagging three assists from Anderson’s position in centre midfield, but the vast majority of his minutes came from the substitute’s bench.
For now, though, Anderson remains at the centre of reports at Forest.
Forest’s position is clear: they will not be pressured into a sale, regardless of the size of the offer.
Having already rejected multiple bids from City, the message from the board is that only an extraordinary, record-level proposal will change their stance.
With United circling in the background and Forest exploring contingency options such as Frattesi, this is shaping up to be one of the defining transfer battles of the summer window.
For now, Forest are holding firm, and the price for Anderson continues to rise.
Same agent as Pereira: Nottingham Forest hold talks to sign £20,000-a-week star
The Tricky Trees want to sign a “sensational” player.
