Manchester City ‘clear frontrunners’ to sign £80 million Premier League midfielder | OneFootball

Officials at Manchester City have placed themselves at the very front of the queue to sign Nottingham Forest and England star Elliot Anderson this summer, as per reports.

City sporting director Hugo Viana is expected to progress his remake of the first-team squad in the upcoming transfer window, having made sweeping changes to Pep Guardiola‘s ranks since replacing Txiki Begiristain in 2025.

The Blues shored up their options in attack and defence with the respective acquisitions of Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi for a combined £84 million in January, underscoring the ambition among club bosses to challenge for silverware in the seasons to come.

Manchester City are facing another potential summer exodus as they seek clarity on the future(s) of Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Nathan Ake, John Stones – all of whom could leave the club ahead of the 2026-27 season.

City awaiting Rodri clarity amid Anderson interest

Rodri’s contract situation has drawn great interest in recent months, with the 29-year-old into the final 15 months of his current deal at the Etihad Stadium with no indication of a renewal at present.

City executives decided to delay contract talks with the Ballon d’Or winner during his injury-ravaged 18 months but are now hoping to cash in on the goodwill they feel they have earned with their patience to hopefully tie Rodri down to a new, long-term deal.

Real Madrid are planning to test Manchester City’s resolve to keep hold of Rodri, who is understood to be considering a sensational switch to the Santiago Bernabeu as he assesses his options and maps the next chapter of his career.

It is worth noting there is no reason to believe at present that Rodri will leave Manchester City in the summer. However, Viana and co are being proactive with their recruitment plans and have made Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Elliot Anderson their top transfer target for the upcoming transfer window.

Mokbel: City leading United for Anderson, deal would require at least £80M

According to a wider-ranging report from journalist Sami Mokbel, multiple sources have told BBC Sport that Manchester City are the ‘clear frontrunners’ to sign Anderson – who would likely cost a minimum of £80 million – at the end of the season.

Manchester City face stiff competition in the race to sign Anderson from city rivals Manchester United, who will witness Casemiro leave at the end of the season and are eyeing reinforcements in the middle of the park themselves.

Anderson is viewed internally by many at Old Trafford as the player the club should prioritise, with the Englishman establishing himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League in recent seasons at the City Ground.

Will Manchester City sign Anderson this summer?

The young star will have his pick of options in the summer transfer window as the best sides in England and abroad table offers to Forest for their most prized asset amid a battle for Premier League survival in the closing months of the season.

Manchester City would, on paper, appear as a far more appealing option to Anderson, who would be tempted by the prospect of working under Guardiola and helping the Blues return to their former ways of winning regular major trophies – having started a rebuild under Viana and being at a nascent stage of that transition.

That is not to say United will abandon their interest. While United would be wary of getting involved in an auction over wages with their city rivals, they are prepared to make a substantial effort to sign Anderson.