Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis accepts inevitable Elliot Anderson sale to Manchester City | OneFootball

Evangelos Marinakis has regarded Manchester City’s latest offer of £105 million plus add-ons for Elliot Anderson as unacceptable, though the Nottingham Forest owner has reluctantly accepted that a sale will happen and is pushing for a record fee.

City’s second bid for Anderson worth £106 million plus a further £15 million in bonuses was submitted earlier this week, with Forest using the £105 million Arsenal paid West Ham for Declan Rice in 2023 as a benchmark.

It is understood that Marinakis wants the fixed fee to exceed the current British record of £125 million Liverpool paid Newcastle United for Alexander Isak last summer.

Talks between the two clubs remain ongoing, with City having been confident throughout of completing the signing of their primary midfield target despite the significant financial gap that has existed between the two clubs’ respective valuations since the pursuit began.

Report: Marinakis regards City offer unacceptable but sale accepted

As per John Percy of The Telegraph, Evangelos Marinakis has regarded Manchester City‘s latest offer of £105 million plus add-ons for Elliot Anderson as unacceptable, with talks between the clubs ongoing.

Marinakis has reluctantly accepted the sale of Anderson but has pushed for a record fee. The detail that Marinakis has accepted Anderson’s departure is a significant development, suggesting the question is no longer whether the midfielder leaves but at what price.

City’s willingness to already exceed £120 million in total bid value demonstrates the level of their commitment to landing a player described as central to incoming manager Enzo Maresca‘s plans for next season.

What is the wider context for City’s pursuit?

Anderson has been City’s primary midfield target heading into the summer transfer window, with director of football Hugo Viana identifying the 23-year-old as the ideal profile to fill the void left by Bernardo Silva‘s departure.

The England international has already been allowed to undergo a Manchester City medical during the FIFA World Cup with Thomas Tuchel‘s permission – as talks progress between Viana and his Forest counterparts over a fee.

Manchester United remain a potential hijack threat in the background, though Anderson is understood to prefer the Etihad Stadium as his destination.

The gap between City’s offer and Marinakis’ demands remains the only obstacle to a deal that both the midfielder and officials at the Etihad Stadium are eager to complete.