Senior Premier League executives hold transfer market fear as Elliot Anderson nears record Man City move | OneFootball

Premier League clubs fear Manchester City’s pursuit of Elliot Anderson will have a significant inflationary effect on the summer transfer market, as per a new report.

City have already submitted a second bid worth £106 million plus £15 million in bonuses for the Nottingham Forest midfielder, with owner Evangelos Marinakis having regarded the offer as unacceptable while reluctantly accepting Anderson’s departure will happen for a fee in the region of £130 million.

The scale of the figures being discussed has drawn attention from across the Premier League, where clubs are already assessing the knock-on impact on their own summer business.

The situation is compounded by the fact that Anderson’s performances for England have only strengthened Forest’s hand, with the midfielder having produced a man of the match display in a friendly win over Costa Rica as Thomas Tuchel‘s side prepare for their June 17 opener against Croatia.

Report: Anderson deal could make the market more difficult

As reported by Matt Law of The Daily Telegraph, Premier League clubs fear Elliot Anderson’s proposed £100 million-plus move to Manchester City will inflate the summer transfer window.

The report quotes an industry insider as follows: “Anderson’s move is going to have a knock-on effect in terms of what clubs ask for players. It could make the market more difficult.”

The concern among rival clubs reflects a broader pattern in which record-breaking transfers between domestic sides set new benchmarks that sellers subsequently use to anchor their own asking prices.

City’s willingness to pursue a fee in excess of £120 million for a 23-year-old midfielder who has never played in European competition is already being watched closely by clubs with assets of comparable profile and age.

What is the wider context for City’s Anderson pursuit?

The potential for a ripple effect across the market adds a layer of complexity to City’s summer recruitment beyond the Anderson deal itself, with director of football Hugo Viana simultaneously pursuing targets across multiple positions including right-back and attack.

City are also considering walking away from the deal amid Marinakis’ insistence on full upfront payment of the total fee, a demand City consider unreasonable regardless of the headline figure involved.

That standoff means the saga could yet conclude without a deal, though if it does go through at anything approaching the reported figures, the concerns of rival clubs about inflated asking prices across the summer window will prove well founded.

For incoming manager Enzo Maresca, the uncertainty around Anderson adds an unwanted variable to pre-season planning, with the Italian keen to have his primary midfield target in place before City’s preparations for the 2026-27 campaign begin in earnest next month.