Manchester City preparing third bid for Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson | OneFootball

Manchester City are preparing a third formal offer for Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Elliot Anderson, as per a new report.

The update arrives after a week of stop-start talks between the two clubs, with City’s second proposal worth £106 million plus £15 million in bonuses having been rejected by Forest earlier this month, and owner Evangelos Marinakis holding out for a total package in the region of £130 million.

Marinakis has been personally overseeing the negotiations throughout, even keeping Forest manager Vitor Pereira in the dark on the finer details, while City had been weighing up whether to walk away entirely amid the Greek businessman’s insistence on at least £110 million being paid upfront.

Despite the financial standoff, Anderson’s stance on a move to the Etihad Stadium has remained settled throughout, having already been granted permission by Thomas Tuchel to undergo a medical during England’s FIFA World Cup preparations once the deal is finalised.

Romano: City ready to push forward again

As reported by transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, City are now ready to advance their conversations with Forest once more, with personal terms already agreed with Anderson over what would represent a new British transfer record.

The update suggests the financial impasse that had threatened to push any formal agreement into July, for accounting reasons on Forest’s side, may be closer to resolution than City’s recent stance of weighing up a complete withdrawal had suggested earlier this week.

Romano’s update does not specify whether Forest have softened their valuation or whether City have moved closer to Marinakis’ figure, though Anderson’s pre-existing agreement with City removes one major hurdle regardless of how the financial gap is eventually closed.

What does this mean for City’s Anderson pursuit?

The renewed momentum will be welcomed by incoming manager Enzo Maresca, who has been eager to have his primary midfield target in place before City’s squad reports for pre-season and travels to Asia for the club’s summer tour.

It also arrives with Manchester United having already withdrawn from the race for Anderson earlier this month, leaving City without direct competition at the negotiating table even as rival Premier League clubs continue to monitor the fee for its wider impact on the summer market.

Whether Forest’s valuation and City’s structure can finally be reconciled remains to be seen, but with Anderson’s own position never having wavered, the only obstacle left appears to be the size of the cheque rather than the substance of the deal.