AdminAs much as Nottingham Forest will be frustrated to lose Elliot Anderson, doing so for a British record is undeniably solid business.
Evangelos Marinakis has cashed in on his prized asset, with reports claiming that the Midlands club are set to receive as much as £116m from Manchester City. A medical is set to take place in America as Anderson continues his work with England at the 2026 World Cup.
| Most expensive British players of all time | Transfer fee |
|---|---|
| Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest to Man City) | £116m |
| Jude Bellingham (Dortmund to Real Madrid) | £115m |
| Declan Rice (West Ham to Arsenal) | £105m |
| Jack Grealish (Aston Villa to Man City) | £100m |
| Harry Kane (Spurs to Bayern Munich) | £86m |
It leaves Forest with plenty of cash to burn, but also with an incredibly difficult player to replace. Alas, this is an exit that has been on the cards for some time, and the Tricky Trees are already prepared to target a number of names.
Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi is a long-term target, but that deal could rely on whether the Serie A giants land Curtis Jones once again, whilst Hayden Hackney is also a name of interest.
Following the most recent transfer update, however, it may be neither of those names that arrive. Instead, Forest have set their sights on a Premier League star.
Nottingham Forest lead race for Premier League midfielder
The best way to replace Anderson as far as Marinakis is concerned is by welcoming a familiar name. According to Ben Jacobs, Nottingham Forest are now leading the race to sign Lucas Bergvall from Tottenham after the Swede told the club he wants to leave this summer.
The news of his demands comes at the perfect time for those in the Midlands. Money will be no issue for them in the coming months and Spurs have reportedly slapped a £45m price tag on their 20-year-old star.
“Look at Szbozslai, who we all think is one of the best midfielders in the league. He’s playing 10, 8, 6, right-back, right-winger, 9, centre-back… maybe not a No9 and centre-back, but he played all the other roles.
“That’s maybe the one (player most similar to Bergvall), because both have fantastic running power, and both drive with the ball.” – Thomas Frank
The midfielder has certainly received high praise in North London and as he looks to depart, Nottingham Forest could take full advantage.
Why Nottingham Forest should prioritise Hackney over Bergvall
It’s easy to see why Bergvall’s name has popped up on Forest’s radar.
He is a young midfielder who presses well and already has experience in both the Premier League and Champions League. Add on that he’ll cost just £45m of the club’s likely large budget and he becomes an even better option.
It’s only when taking a look at the underlying numbers when it becomes clear that Bergvall should not be the like-for-like Anderson replacement. Instead, that should be Hackney.
| 25/26 P90 | Bergvall | Hackney | Anderson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 966 | 3,314 | 3,334 |
| Goals (total) | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Tackles | 2.05 | 1.85 | 2.81 |
| Recoveries | 3.63 | 5.57 | 8.26 |
| Duel success | 43.8% | 47% | 54.8% |
In terms of recoveries, there’s no one better in Europe than Anderson. Replicating that will be impossible for Forest, but Hackney would give it a better go than Bergvall all whilst providing a goalscoring outlet.
So, instead of pushing to sign the Tottenham man, the Tricky Trees should be knocking on Middlesbrough’s door for their star midfielder this summer.
Admin