The Whitley Bay lad is a target of Man City and Man United but has parked any talk of a summer transfer ahead of the World Cup
Elliot Anderson of England speaks to the media during a press conference at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre on March 30, 2026
Elliot Anderson spoke to the media in the build-up to England's friendly with Japan on Tuesday night
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Elliot Anderson has played down talk of a high-profile summer move from Nottingham Forest to insist he is focused on the World Cup.
It is likely that England boss Thomas Tuchel will want his squad firmly focused on the task in hand at the US this summer. Whitley Bay lad Anderson is likely to be part of the 26-man Three Lions squad that will initially face Croatia, Ghana and Panama in the States.
Newcastle have admitted publicly - via sporting director Ross Wilson - that they "like" Anderson "a lot" with the former Academy star believed to be on their watch list. However, in more recent times, Anderson has been linked heavily with Manchester United and Manchester City, with a potential North-West shoot-out on the cards for his services.
There is a real danger that Newcastle would get outpriced for Anderson by the two Manchester clubs if they come to the table. Newcastle's interest in Anderson could increase if Sandro Tonali or Bruno Guimaraes ends up heading across the country to one of the club's big rivals.
But Anderson, preparing for England duty, said today: "Obviously we've got the World Cup this summer so all my eyes are on that.
"Playing for England, I've got the badge on now so that's all I'm thinking about at the moment."
Eddie Howe has always remained a fan of Anderson and indicated he should never have been sold. Asked about his exit, Howe said earlier this season: "It certainly was a rushed deal. We were on the clock and trying to explore every avenue to find another way to avoid a points deduction.
"In terms of buyback clauses, we were not in a good bargaining position at all. So our strength to negotiate those sort of things was non-existent."
On whether he regretted the board's decision to cash in and allow Anderson to depart for PSR reasons, Howe added: "I wouldn't say it's on my mind every day, but there are certain reminders in certain moments.
"It didn't sit right with me then, doesn't sit right with me today that we as a football club were forced to make a decision that we didn't want to make, and a player that had given everything to rise through the ranks here to try to play for Newcastle, that was ended by financial restrictions. But it's happened, and we wish Elliot nothing but success.
"It's nothing at all to do with him; it's to do with the restrictions we were under."
Anderson's sparkling form with Forest and England mean that the deal is becoming more difficult for the Magpies to do.
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