Chelsea continue to be linked with a move for Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Elliot Anderson.
The 23-year-old will not come cheap, though. It has already been reported that Forest could demand £120m for Anderson.
Chelsea have spent that kind of money to bring in two other midfielders, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.
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And if they do want to sign Anderson next year, it looks like they may have to sell the former to facilitate his arrival.
Chelsea winger Pedro Neto and Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson contest for the ball
Photo by Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Chelsea could have to sell Enzo Fernandez before signing Elliot Anderson
One source recently told the Daily Briefing that Chelsea would likely require a big sale before they can bring in Anderson and has not ruled out Fernandez being sold.
Real Madrid are thought to be interested in Fernandez, so they are one club Chelsea could potentially sell to.
However, it has been claimed that Fernandez has already rejected Real Madrid’s advances, while it would be a complete shock if Chelsea do decide to make him available.
The Argentine is one of Enzo Maresca’s most important players, already making 16 appearances this season.
Last term, he made over 50 appearances, helping Chelsea to win the Club World Cup and Conference League. It shows just how pivotal Fernandez is to Maresca’s side.
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez and Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson contest for the ball
Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images
Comparing Elliot Anderson’s and Enzo Fernandez’s stats from the 2024/25 Premier League season
Anderson had a very good 2024/25 Premier League campaign, but he was outperformed by Fernandez, which is to be expected.
The Argentina international is a £100m midfielder playing in a superior team. Even so, amid Chelsea’s interest in Anderson, it is still worth taking a look at both players’ stats.
Anderson did not score as many goals as Fernandez, while he also managed one assist fewer than the 24-year-old. Fernandez averaged more key passes and passes in general, too.
Player Appearances Minutes Goals Assists Key passes per game Average passes per game Pass success rate
Elliot Anderson 37 2,744 2 6 1 34.8 82.3%
Enzo Fernandez 36 2,948 6 7 2.2 49.4 83.7%
Via Elliot Anderson’s WhoScored and Enzo Fernandez’s WhoScored pages
Ultimately, Anderson is not on Fernandez’s level yet. Chelsea fans will be absolutely fuming if the club sell the World Cup winner and replace him with Anderson.