Some transfer windows have a moment where patience runs out.
A bid submitted.
And a number that simply isn’t going to move.
Manchester City have reached that moment with Elliot Anderson.
And they may be about to walk away.
Manchester City consider walking away from Elliot Anderson deal after having £120m bid rejected
According to Jeremy Cross, Manchester City are weighing up their options after having a bid worth £100 million plus £20 million in add-ons rejected by Nottingham Forest, with owner Evangelos Marinakis holding firm on his demand that the full fee is paid upfront without instalment structures or performance-related elements.
That is the sticking point.
City’s offer isn’t too far removed from what Forest consider the player’s value.
The issue is how it’s structured.
Marinakis wants the money paid in full.
City are not prepared to meet those terms.
And with the gap between both parties showing no signs of closing, the option of walking away entirely is now being seriously considered.
It’s a significant development in one of the summer’s most-watched transfer sagas.
Anderson has been City’s primary midfield target throughout the window.
But Forest have always held every card.
A Premier League survival secured without difficulty means no desperate need for funds.
And Marinakis has shown no willingness to move from his position.
The Forest supporters know what they have.
And so does their owner.
For City, the calculus is changing.
A £120 million total fee represents an enormous outlay in a summer already requiring significant investment across multiple positions.
If Forest won’t flex on structure and timing, City’s money goes elsewhere.
Manchester United remain interested, though they too have faced resistance on fee.
With the window still to properly open, nothing is closed yet.
But the clear signal from City is that they won’t be held to ransom.
Pay in full or no deal.
Yet right now, the answer looks like no deal.
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