Man City have not given up in their attempts to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Having had their last offer turned down for the England international, there had been doubts over whether the Cityzens would return with a follow-up bid.
However, Romano has confirmed that the Manchester club are now exploring ways to make their proposal for Anderson more attractive to Forest:
Most Read on Man City News
“The deal remains alive after an initial offer of £121 million was rejected by chairman [Evangelos] Marinakis, but City are pressing on and looking to work around the structure with more achievable bonuses.”
Anderson’s asking price is very high
It is believed that club owner Evangelos Marinakis would like a fee that matches the British transfer record, which was set last summer when Liverpool paid £125m for Alexander Isak.
City’s decision to change the structure of their £121m offer for Anderson may not be sufficient, although they could potentially add more bonuses to their next bid that satisfies Marinakis’s demands.
None of Man City’s rivals are preparing a hijack
One of the reasons why there has been no urgency from the Cityzens to follow up their £121m bid with another proposal is due to a lack of competition.
Manchester United were very interested in Anderson, but they are not willing to reach the numbers that City are prepared to pay.
It is very much a one-horse race for the 23-year-old, and it does allow the club and Director of Football Hugo Viana to take their time with negotiations.
Some fans will argue that they are already paying over the odds for Anderson, but every other target will be sold for inflated numbers too.
The main alternative to strengthen the midfield, Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, is also on the market for £100m.
Want more news on Man City? Add Man City News as a preferred source on Google