Elliot Anderson breaks silence on £80M Manchester City transfer talk in England press conference | OneFootball

Manchester City target Elliot Anderson has commented on transfer talk linking him with a departure from Nottingham Forest this summer.

Anderson is a near guaranteed starter for England at the upcoming FIFA World Cup, having made his name as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League since leaving boyhood club Newcastle United for the City Ground.

The 23-year-old leads Manchester City’s wish-list in the midfield department ahead of the summer, with the Blues looking to shore up their options in the middle of the park amid uncertainty over the future(s) of Bernardo Silva and Rodri.

Silva will be out of contract at the Etihad Stadium in June and Rodri has recently flirted with the idea of joining Real Madrid as he enters the final 12 months of his own Manchester City contract.

Explained: Man City’s interest in Anderson

Executives at the Etihad Stadium, led by director of football Hugo Viana, have identified Anderson as a world-class addition to a Manchester City midfield that could witness a mass exodus this summer.

In addition to Silva and Rodri, Mateo Kovacic and Kalvin Phillips could both leave the Blues at the end of the season as Viana progresses his rebuild of Pep Guardiola’s squad, having made nine new signings since replacing Txiki Begiristain last summer.

Anderson is understood to be attracted by the prospect of challenging for major trophies at Manchester City, who are leading the race for the 23-year-old amid competition from city rivals Manchester United.

It remains to be seen whether City formalise their interest with a formal offer but Nottingham Forest will be hoping that Anderson enjoys a stellar FIFA World Cup with England in the hope of raising their asking price for their most prized asset.

Anderson: My eyes are only on the World Cup

Quizzed on his club future ahead of England’s friendly fixture against Japan on Tuesday night, Anderson brushed off talk of a departure from the City Ground and doubled down on his focus on this summer’s marquee tournament with the Three Lions.

“We (England) have got the World Cup this summer, so all my eyes are on that. That is all I am thinking about at the moment,” Anderson said in a press conference on Monday.

England manager Thomas Tuchel is a big fan of Anderson, whose stock would certainly have risen at the Etihad Stadium after his stunning strike to salvage a crucial point for relegation-threatened Forest in a 2-2 draw against Manchester City earlier this month.

Manchester City are expected to strengthen their pursuit of Anderson after he returns from north America in July, with club officials also expected to sit down with Ballon d’Or winner Rodri in the hope of tying the 29-year-old down to a long-term contract.