Fabrizio Romano transfer update: Elliot Anderson is set for an imminent £116m move to Manchester City from Nottingham Forest. That fee is already being read as the number that will shape the rest of the summer midfield market.
Manchester City set the price
The Anderson deal gives clubs a clear benchmark. With Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd and Spurs all planning at least one central midfield signing, the size of that move will feed into every conversation about what a top midfielder costs now.
Sky Sports News said in March that this summer was always going to be dominated by central midfielders, and the latest valuation backs that up. Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Mateus Fernandes and Alex Scott are all being pursued by top Premier League clubs, so one fee that breaks into nine figures is not just a headline number. It resets the asking price for the rest.
Tonali and Guimaraes pressure
Last week Spurs made an offer of almost £80m for Sandro Tonali and Newcastle knocked it back immediately. Tonali is believed to be ready to sign for the North London club if the clubs can agree a deal, and a contract worth more than £275,000 per week would be ready and waiting.
That rejection sits alongside Newcastle's wider position on the market. Tonali has three years to run on his contract, Manchester City are also monitoring him, and Arsenal and United have both had him on their lists. Arsenal have a long-term interest in the midfielder but have not followed it up this summer.
Newcastle and the next move
Bruno Guimaraes adds another layer. Newcastle want to sell him, he turns 29 in November, and he has two years remaining on his contract. Arsenal are exploring the conditions of a deal through intermediaries, but an informal proposal was rejected and Newcastle have not had any contact from Arsenal directly so far.
Newcastle sold Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest for £35m two years ago, and now his return to the top end of the market is the one that matters. The question is whether Manchester City keep moving after Anderson and take another run at Tonali, or whether this £116m move becomes the number that holds the market in place for the rest of the window.
