England star offers Rice reward to Man City and ‘scarred’ Manchester United | OneFootball

While Elliot Anderson establishes himself as one of England’s most important players at the World Cup, back home, the Nottingham Forest midfielder is prompting plenty of teeth sucking across the Premier League.

Anderson starred in the Three Lions’ thrilling opening win against Croatia, showcasing on the world stage his supreme talent across every facet of Thomas Tuchel’s midfield.

It’s nothing new to Trent Enders or anyone with a casual interest in Our League. Anderson has been brilliant for Forest since signing from Newcastle in a deal two years ago designed to ease PSR concerns at the midfielder’s hometown club.

Newcastle were reluctant sellers then so the Magpies must be seething over the prospect of Anderson breaking the British transfer record this summer.

That is Forest’s insistence if they are to sell Anderson, the Reds wanting a fixed fee that would eclipse the £125million Liverpool paid the Toon for Alexander Isak last summer.

Contrary to what Anderson’s suitors want us to believe, it is not an unreasonable demand.

Manchester City have made the first move, reportedly offering £106million with another £14million perhaps to follow in add-ons. Given the uncertainty around City in the weird post-Pep, pre-verdict era, Forest are smart to insist upon a set figure.

Having been knocked back, City are weighing up their options while Premier League rivals chirp from the sidelines. Manchester United are even less willing than City to cough up, presumably because they have been burned so often when they have used their considerable clout in the past, while other clubs moan that any record deal for Anderson would distort the market for midfielders this summer.

Even if that were a legitimate concern, it is not City’s problem, and it definitely isn’t Forest’s. A record fee for Anderson would be a fair market price for the seller and, hard though the sceptics and traditionalists find it to believe right now, the midfielder could prove to be a bargain for City.

It has been three years since Chelsea twice broke records to sign midfielders – Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez – around the same time Arsenal paid £105million for Declan Rice.

The market has hardly been flooded by nine-figure midfielders since, with such fees still reserved for the very best, supposedly transformational stars.

Chelsea certainly don’t seem to have many regrets – not specific to those deals at least – and Arsenal fans will tell you they got Rice for half-price.

It is decent bet that City – or United, if they could just get over their past – will be saying the same of Anderson in the coming years.

He is provably the best midfielder available to any club who might be able to afford him. This season was no flash in the pan…

It is hard to imagine that Anderson could make a bigger difference to any side than he would at United, but there is wider significance too in City going all out for the ‘Geordie Maradona’.

These are uncertain times at the Etihad and City breaking the transfer record to revamp their midfield – with Sandro Tonali perhaps on his way too – would represent a huge statement of intent as they move on from Guardiola and some of his players who helped define a decade of unparalleled success.

Anderson and Tonali makes not only for potentially the best midfield pairing in the country, and the best possible welcome gift for Enzo Maresca, but also a £200million ‘f**k you’ to their rivals. All of whom, like the rest of us, are still waiting on the outcome of their legal battle with the Premier League.

That, surely, is a concern for Anderson, Tonali and anyone else City are targeting this summer. Admittedly, the 115 charges hanging over the club did not deter other recent signings. But with a ruling supposedly due soon – assuming it ever comes – no party needs to rush.

Especially City, since they appear to have a free run. Which only makes a modicum of sense when you consider the money involved. But anyone willing to invest in Anderson could be rewarded as richly as Arsenal for their faith in Rice.