Talks intensify as City target Anderson
Manchester City are edging closer to completing a record-breaking deal for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, according to multiple reports.
Tom Collomosse of the Daily Mail reports that City and Forest are set for fresh talks within the next 24 hours, with the Midlands club holding out for a total package worth up to £130 million. That figure would surpass the £125 million Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak last summer, making Anderson a British record transfer.
Alex Crook and Ben Jacobs of TalkSport add that the two clubs are now in advanced negotiations, with City's next bid expected to arrive before England's third World Cup group stage match against Panama.
Should Forest accept the offer, Anderson is expected to undergo his medical while away with the England squad at the tournament.
What Anderson brings
The 23-year-old would add energy, tenacity and duel-winning ability to City's midfield. According to Squawka, Anderson won possession 306 times last season — comfortably the highest in the Premier League, with Wolves' Andre the next best.
He also led the league for winning the ball in midfield (154 times) and recovered possession in the defensive third on 127 occasions, demonstrating his reading of the game. Anderson won more duels than any other Premier League player last season with 297.
Those attributes could prove particularly valuable against counter-attacking sides, an area where City have occasionally been exposed. Having Anderson and Rodri together would give City two players capable of snuffing out danger and driving the team forward.
Anderson is also a gifted technical player who should improve further in City's possession-based system. At 23, his best years are still ahead of him.
Assuming no late complications, City look set to add a midfielder who offers a dimension their engine room has sometimes lacked — even if his numbers may dip slightly in a side that dominates possession more than Forest do.