Arsenal reportedly ‘sense an opportunity’ to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, as per Caught Offside.
The 23-year-old started his youth career at Wallsend Boys Club before joining Newcastle United at the age of eight. After coming through the Magpies’ youth system, the youngster made his first-team debut back in 2021.
However, he initially struggled to find regular game time at St James’ Park, so he joined Bristol Rovers on loan to play regularly and develop his career. Upon returning, Anderson played as a rotational option under Eddie Howe.
The Englishman joined the Tricky Trees a couple of years ago and initially took time to settle into his new surroundings. However, the midfielder has taken his game to another level this season, making five goal contributions in 41 appearances across all competitions.
Having proven his worth in the Premier League, he has secured his place in Thomas Tuchel’s England national team’s starting line-up. He is expected to be a key player for the Three Lions in this summer’s World Cup.
Now, Caught Offside claim that Anderson’s recent eye-catching performances have attracted the attention of several big clubs around Europe. Chelsea are showing serious interest in signing him, while Bayern Munich have been closely monitoring his development.
Newcastle are even willing to bring him back, while Manchester City are currently the frontrunners in this race. However, the report state that Arsenal are also interested in Anderson and ‘sense an opportunity’ to finalise the operation by overcoming stiff competition.
Anderson to Arsenal
With Christian Norgaard struggling to find regular game time this season, Mikel Arteta is ‘keen’ on adding a reliable third midfielder. However, Forest won’t allow their star man to leave for cheap, with his existing deal set to run until 2029. Vitor Pereira’s side want more than £100m to sanction his departure.
Anderson is a technically gifted deep-lying playmaker but is also efficient in the box-to-box role. He is quick across the ground, strong, can play line-breaking passes, has an eye for long-range passing, and works extremely hard without possession.
The 23-year-old is still very young and has plenty of room to grow. So, he might be a great coup for Arsenal should they purchase him. However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club eventually make a concrete approach to secure his services.