Manchester City transfer news: Elliot Anderson latest as "figures" Nottingham Forest would listen to "revealed"

Manchester City may have to pay a figure in the region of £100m for Elliot Anderson tp convince Nottingham Forest to sell him in the summer.

The Citizens will turn their attention from the FA Cup to the EFL Cup, when they take on Newcastle United on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola will hope that his midfield will be able to cope with the intense nature of Newcastle, though it remains to be seen whether he looks to start the likes of Rodri, who has struggled with injury problems this season.

It is not surprising that the Citizens have been linked with a number of midfielders this winter, including Forest star Anderson.

Transfer expert David Ornstein has revealed that while Forest have no desire to sell Anderson now, the midfielder could be prized away in the summer, telling The Athletic: "All the top clubs like him, and most of them will be in the mix, maybe with the exception of Arsenal — they're the ones with a full midfield.

"Nottingham Forest have zero appetite to trade him right now. The summer is a different story — every player has their price.

"We're hearing figures of £80-£100m, maybe even more."

Other teams like Manchester United have been credited with an interest in Anderson, though it is hard to see how they could compete with City if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Is Elliot Anderson Pep Guardiola's Declan Rice?

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has looked to prioritise physicality in his team, with the addition of Declan Rice in the summer of 2023 highlighting his approach to squad building.

City have also been attentive to the physical demands of the Premier League, often deploying natural centre-backs as full-backs.

However, there is an argument that Guardiola does not yet have the same level of physicality in midfield as Arsenal, but the addition of Anderson could change that.

The Forest star possesses immense athletic qualities like Rice, and he may help cover for some of Rodri's limitations without the ball.

Is Pep Guardiola trying to rebuild Man City?

City have already signed winger Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth this January, and the forward is set to be a key part of the club's future frontline.

Rayan Cherki could be the natural successor to Phil Foden, and the two could be influential behind striker Erling Haaland.

The Citizens have also been strongly linked with centre-back Marc Guehi, and the Crystal Palace man could potentially be seen as a long-term successor to Ruben Dias.

Given the signing of Semenyo, as well as the links to Anderson and Guehi, it appears as if City are positioning themselves to challenge for the title in the coming seasons.