How did Manchester City respond to the crisis?

According to the latest report from "Mirror" chief sports reporter Jeremy Cross, Manchester City plans to introduce Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson for 75 million pounds.

This is not Guardiola's temporary idea, but Manchester City's inevitable choice to deal with the midfield crisis. Nico Gonzalez's performance has never met expectations after joining, leaving a vacancy in the position; more importantly, the 29-year-old core midfielder Rodri's contract renewal negotiations have reached a deadlock, and it is difficult to decide whether to stay or not. Therefore, Manchester City's introduction of the 22-year-old England star Anderson is undoubtedly regarded as Rodri's best successor.

To be identified by Guardiola as Rodri's successor, Anderson is by no means an ordinary person. This talented young English midfielder from the Newcastle youth training team joined Nottingham Forest for 41.2 million euros in the summer of 2024. He quickly proved his worth with outstanding performance: he played 42 games in the 2024/25 season and contributed 2 goals and 6 assists, with an 82.5% passing success rate. He also showed his toughness with defensive data of 2.46 steals and 1.81 clearances per game. In short, Anderson is as good at both offense and defense as Rodri.

In addition, Anderson's technical characteristics perfectly meet the needs of modern midfielders. He is 179cm tall and has strong physical confrontation ability. The efficiency of winning 7 out of 10 ground confrontations proves his toughness. As a right-footed player, Anderson is equally skilled with his left foot. He can hold the ball to promote series attacks and create threats through 37 key passes. He can be called a "balanced offensive initiator" with both feet. What's more valuable is that Anderson is also Mr. Big Scene. The more critical the game, the better he can perform.

However, it is not that easy for Manchester City to sign Anderson as they wish. Because currently, in addition to Manchester City, the Premier League giant Chelsea is also chasing the English superstar. The Blues are rebuilding their midfield and are in urgent need of young players like Anderson who have both immediate combat power and potential, forming direct competition with Manchester City. For Nottingham Forest, whoever can make a more attractive offer will get Anderson. Therefore, it now depends on whether Manchester City is willing to offer a higher offer than Chelsea.

Guardiola's tactical system is highly compatible with Anderson's style. Rodri's "three-dimensional versatility" has proven the requirements of the ball control system for the midfielder, and Anderson's 82.5% passing success rate, stable performance under high-intensity pressure, and the ability to cover both offense and defense just meet the stringent standards of Manchester City's scouting team. More importantly, Manchester City has clearly listed him as "Rodri's successor", so in order to sign Anderson, Manchester City will not hesitate to pay.

Of course, the final direction of the deal still depends on the progress of Rodri's contract extension. If the Spaniard stays on the team, Manchester City may cancel this signing plan; if Real Madrid successfully poaches Rodri, Anderson will most likely become Blue Moon's "emergency first choice." In the end, will Manchester City take action to sign Anderson? We'll wait and see.