Man City submit club-record £121m bid for Elliot Anderson and receive immediate Nottingham Forest response

Manchester City have made a club-record bid for Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson, but TEAMtalk understands that the Premier League giants have still failed to secure an agreement.

Sources have confirmed to us that Man City have returned with an improved package worth £106million plus a further £15million in add-ons after seeing their opening offer, worth less than £90million, rejected last week.

The proposal would eclipse the £100million Man City paid for Jack Grealish in 2021, making Anderson the most expensive signing in the club’s history if a deal is completed.

However, Nottingham Forest’s initial response has been a ‘no’, with the club understood to be pushing for a greater proportion of the fee to be guaranteed up front.

Man City’s hierarchy believe their latest proposal is more than fair and are now assessing whether to return with a further offer or stand firm and wait for Forest to soften their stance.

Sources close to the negotiations have told us that there remains a significant gap between the clubs despite the record-breaking proposal.

Forest have long maintained that Anderson is one of the most valuable young players in English football and believe his value should place him amongst the most expensive British players of all time.

The Midlands club are also aware that interest remains elsewhere.

Man Utd continue to monitor Anderson’s situation and have held talks over a potential move, but sources indicate Man City’s latest offer is considerably higher than anything their rivals would currently be prepared to pay.

Despite the latest setback, confidence remains high that a deal will eventually be completed.

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TEAMtalk understands that Anderson agreed terms in principle with Man City some time ago and remains fully committed to making the move to the Etihad Stadium.

Indeed, sources close to the player say both Anderson’s camp and Man City have been left surprised that Forest rejected the latest package given its overall value.

Nevertheless, there is no sense of panic. The England internatioanl midfielder had hoped to resolve his future before the start of the World Cup finals in order to focus entirely on international duty.

That objective now appears unlikely to be achieved.

We understand Anderson was keen to get his future sorted before England’s World Cup campaign began, allowing him to focus solely on helping the Three Lions on the biggest stage.

However, with negotiations continuing, that deadline looks set to pass.

Even so, those close to the situation continue to insist that a transfer remains the most likely outcome.

Communication between the clubs has been constructive, with all parties still expecting further discussions in the coming days although as it stands City are considering their options.

While Forest continue to hold out for improved terms, there is a growing belief that a compromise can eventually be reached.

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