Manchester City have made Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson their top priority ahead of the summer transfer window opening on Monday. However, negotiations have proven challenging due to Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis' hard-line approach. A second bid worth £120m, with £106m up front, was rejected, as Forest demand a higher upfront fee.
Some City fans fear the price tag has become unfeasible, especially in the post-Pep Guardiola era. However, the club's recruitment team recalls a similar situation from 2017, when City competed with Liverpool for Virgil van Dijk. Southampton set a non-negotiable £75m price tag, and City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak ultimately decided to walk away, allowing Liverpool to sign Van Dijk while City secured Aymeric Laporte for £57m.
This precedent demonstrates that City will not be held hostage by selling clubs. If they deem the Anderson transfer not worth the higher upfront fee, they will move on to other targets. Fans are urged to trust the club's judgment in this uncertain landscape.
