A buyer's deal could reduce Elliot Anderson's compensation, according to Daniel Storey
By OnzeActu · · 3 min read
Manchester City have had an initial bid for Elliot Anderson rejected by Nottingham Forest, but the idea of a restricted market for English clubs could prevent a bidding war. Daniel Storey is banking on a high range (at least £90m) and talks about his intuition being around £100m, a sum which would constitute a record for a British player.
The amount Nottingham Forest could ultimately get for Elliot Anderson may be "slightly" lower than expected due to a "one-buyer's market" for the midfielder, believes Daniel Storey, chief football journalist for The i. Manchester City saw an opening bid for Anderson rebuffed by Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, but the idea of him leaving the City Ground this summer is gaining ground.
The transfer could reach an unprecedented level for a British player, and even exceed the £105 million paid by Arsenal to West Ham for Declan Rice in 2023, underlines Storey.
“We created an environment to allow an exceptional footballer to be the best version of himself, better than anyone thought,” Storey explained on the BBC Radio Nottingham podcast. “One of the problems for Forest is that they both want to get the biggest compensation possible, which is perfectly legitimate, and would also like to see a bidding war. Premier League clubs that sell for high prices usually eliminate the rest of the world, except for two or three teams. There has never been any reported interest from Bayern Munich, Real Madrid or Barca, so we are in a Premier League-only market. »
Storey continued: “Manchester United were very interested but they have two, maybe three midfielders to buy, so I don't think they will be able to go as high as the sale would ask. So, in practice, we have a one-buyer's market, which is Manchester City. In such a market, it is difficult to avoid the compensation being a little lower than what we would like, because City can delay and do their business at the end of the transfer window. »
Despite everything, Storey estimates that the amount will still be substantial: “Even if the price is slightly reduced, I think it will still be at least £90 million, which is still a huge sum. We know he will leave, we know he has to leave, but it all depends on how Forest replaces him. It's complicated while he's still at the club, because it shows that they are really willing to sell Anderson and that brings the price down further. »
The journalist concludes with his intuition: “My hunch is that it will be around £100m, which in some ways doesn't seem quite enough but is also more than double what Forest have ever gotten for a player. »
Storey adds that there have been no signs of a contentious attitude from Anderson: "He's not making waves, he seems like a really good guy, so we're now in the negotiation phase." »