Newcastle United recouped just £15million for England regular Elliot Anderson in July 2024.
Manchester City are reportedly at the front of the queue to sign former Newcastle United youngster Elliot Anderson.
The Whitley Bay native broke through the Toon ranks in 2021 as the club’s most promising academy product for a generation. A loan move to Bristol Rovers helped Anderson come of age, with Eddie Howe increasing his game time the following season.
In truth, Anderson was always a bit-part player at St James’ Park, used in various positions as Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes took centre stage. However, the Magpies did not want to sell the star when their hand was forced due to PSR restrictions in July 2024.
The Gazette has launched a WhatsApp NUFC channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone.Simply click this linkto join our NUFC WhatsApp channel.
Elliot Anderson’s meteoric rise
With a Premier League points deduction looming, Newcastle sold Anderson and Yankuba Minteh. Both players have matured into seasoned top-flight stars at Nottingham Forest and Brighton.
Anderson, in particular, has proven a bitter pill for the Magpies to swallow. The now 23-year-old has a £100million price tag on his head and is set to start for England at the World Cup.
Manchester City in pole position
He has attracted interest from both Manchester clubs, Arsenal and Liverpool. Newcastle would love to re-sign the boyhood fan but his valuation is out of their reach.
It is also understood that Toon chiefs - given their weak negotiating position - did not insert a sell-on clause into his contract. A brutal reality is that Anderson is now worth seven times more than the paltry £15million sum Newcastle fetched less than two years ago.
The Daily Mail claim Man City are in pole position to sign Anderson this summer. For now, the midfielder is focused on securing Premier League survival at Forest.
‘I would love’ - Eddie Howe
Speaking in October, Howe admitted he would “love” for Anderson to play for Newcastle again. He told reporters: “From my perspective, I would love him to (return). I’m very respectful of the fact he is at another football club and I would never normally talk about a player in that way, so I won’t change that stance.
“But yes, it is very regretful that a player from the academy who had given so much - and the club had given so much too, the coaching staff, all those years here and how people tried to develop those talents - for him not to be utilised here is a real shame.”
Continue Reading