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Anderson’s rise from League Two loan to potential British record transferImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Elliot Anderson scored four goals for Nottingham Forest last season – including one against Manchester CityByNick MashiterFootball reporter and Shamoon HafezFootball reporter
Four years since helping Bristol Rovers win promotion from League Two, Elliot Anderson faces what could be a defining summer.
Anderson is expected to be one of England’s key players at this summer’s World Cup, and his stellar performances for Nottingham Forest have led to such significant transfer interest that he is likely to become the most expensive British footballer ever.
The 23-year-old has quickly become a key man for national boss Thomas Tuchel – winning eight caps this season, just three years after being called up by Scotland.
He is expected to start alongside Declan Rice in the heart of midfield when they begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday, 17 June (kick-off 21:00 BST).
As he prepares for that, his club future remains uncertain, with Forest having already turned down a significant bid from City for Anderson as owner Evangelos Marinakis holds out for a revealed £110m., external
Image source, Getty ImagesAnderson made 12 appearances for England Under-21s, scoring two goals
Anderson was eligible to play for Scotland because of his Glasgow-born grandmother, and was selected by Steve Clarke for their Euro 2024 game with Cyprus.
He pulled out through injury before opting to play for England – helping the Three Lions win the European Under-21 Championship last summer.
Though Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott was named player of the tournament – scoring six goals including the opener in the final win over Germany – Anderson stood out to the extent was picked in the best XI.
He featured alongside Bournemouth’s Alex Scott in midfield to provide England with a solid foundation – and the Forest player’s tireless running was particularly impressive in the 3-1 quarter-final win over Spain.
His injury-time penalty moved England into the semi-finals, where they beat the Netherlands en route to retaining their title in Bratislava.
The summer was to be another platform for Anderson, and he carried his form into Forest’s chaotic season.
Despite playing under four managers in a successful battle against relegation, Anderson has been a consistent presence.
In the 3-0 win at Tottenham in December, which moved Forest three points above the drop zone, Anderson created the most chances (three), completed more passes (38), won possession the most (nine) and made more tackles (six) than any of his team-mates.
He impressed staff with his commitment, and regularly talks to coaches to discuss the best way to improve both himself and the team.
His positional awareness has also earned praise, though his work-rate and desire to cover as much ground as possible means he can often tire himself out.
A demanding individual, on himself and his team-mates, Forest view Anderson as having the potential to become a complete player.
“It’s been a big two years,” reported Anderson, who moved from Newcastle for £35m in 2024. “I think I’ve done pretty well in the time I’ve been here, on and off the pitch.
“I’ve matured as a person as well and thanks to the club for giving me that platform, going out there and letting me do my stuff.
“In players’ careers, you never know where you’re going to be. Moving from your hometown is a big step in your career. It was definitely something I needed to do and it has turned out really well. So I’m happy I made that step.”
Anderson’s brilliant form has inevitably brought speculation over his future, with particular links to both Manchester clubs.
Anderson scored a superb equaliser to salvage an unlikely point at City in March and the Blues have long admired the player.
They firmed up their interest last week with an opening bid, and sources say they are expected to make another offer.
Anderson tops the club’s list of midfield targets following the departure of captain Bernardo Silva, and such has been his rise they will not be swayed from paying a fee that could become a record fee for a British player.
Marinakis is known to be a tough negotiator and is understood to want more than the £105m Arsenal paid to sign midfielder Declan Rice from West Ham in 2023.
BBC Sport has previously revealed Anderson is leaning towards a move to City over rivals United.
Anderson’s eye-catching performances earned him a place in the team of the season in BBC Sport’s first end-of-season football awards.
And the statistics make for incredible reading. Among all top-flight players, Anderson managed to:
Have the most touches of the ball (3,300).
Win the most duels (297).
Win the most fouls (80).
Win possession the most times overall (306) as well as in the middle third (154) and defensive third of the pitch (127).
Among central midfielders, he made the most line-breaking passes (376), completed the most overall passes (2,038) and made the most dribbles (95).
He became the first player since Rice in 2019-20 to win possession more than 300 times and make more than 100 in a Premier League season.
Out of possession he worked hard too – his 1,895 high-intensity pressures were the most applied by a central midfielder.
To some, his success is no surprise.
Former Stoke midfielder Glenn Whelan coached and played with Anderson during his loan at Bristol Rovers in 2022.
After joining the Pirates on deadline day, Anderson made an instant impact – coming off the bench to win a point-saving penalty in the 1-1 draw at Sutton on his debut.
Whelan reported: “The staff were a bit mindful at the time – Sutton were big, strong and aggressive and as a teenager would he be able to stand up to it?
“He came on and made the difference. He was a game-changer. “The biggest respect I can give to Elliot is he was the one who got us promoted.
“Straight away you could tell he was different. He loves the ball, would take on two, three, four players and after the first game everyone was thinking, ‘we’ve got a proper talent here’.”
Then 19, Anderson scored seven goals in 21 appearances to help Rovers to automatic promotion – including the seventh goal in their improbable 7-0 final-day win over Scunthorpe.
It left former Aston Villa and Stoke midfielder Whelan in no doubt of what Anderson could achieve.
“He’s a bit of a throwback, the way he handles the ball. From where he’s come from people talk about Gazza [Paul Gascoigne] – he has that about him,” the former Republic of Ireland international told BBC Sport.
“He can grab games by the scruff off the neck. It’s been a difficult season for Forest but if you put him in a top-four team you’ll see a bigger improvement again.
“You’ve only seen a small bit on the England stage but he can go to the very top.
“I see him being a big success for England and being a mainstay for years.”
The completeness of Anderson’s profile stands out in a similar manner to that of his England team-mate Rice.
With Bernardo Silva departing, City will need reinforcements, and Anderson shares a number of similarities with the latter version of City’s most recent captain too.
With both having experienced playing as wingers at senior level, that adds to their skillset the ability to withstand pressure from behind, trap the ball and drive with it upfield. These are all transferable qualities when playing as a pivot, particularly in a possession-heavy side.
That becomes increasingly valuable in a league in which opponents are more willing to press man to man and deny midfielders the time to turn. Anderson moves proactively in midfield either diagonally away from his marker to show for the ball or to open up passing lanes for the centre-backs to find players higher up.
His intentional movements force a presser to choose between following him and leaving another player free, or holding their position and allowing Anderson to receive, which when paired with another technically able midfielder like Rodri could help City progress the ball cleanly.
He isn’t shy in taking responsibility for the build-up and it is a testament to his quality that he is trusted to do so for England. His versatility allows him to push into more advanced positions providing numerical overloads without compromising quality.
He is a player that attacks well moving into the final third. Alternatively, he can drop in and sit at the base of midfield. This is likely to appeal to Manchester City, who – through midfield rotations – would be able to pull defensive structures apart.
His physicality, ability to counter-press, and willing defending combine to make him an impressive, Premier League proven all-rounder. Tactically, it is difficult to find a player offering a greater variety of tools and potential solutions, given his breadth of his skillset.
A version of this article was first published on 30 March 2026
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