Manchester City are eager to strengthen in the middle of the park this summer, and they are considering a move for “one of the best midfielders in Europe” alongside Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.

The latest on Man City’s Elliot Anderson pursuit

Although the summer transfer window isn’t officially set to open until June 15th, Man City have already been making some major moves, and they have now submitted a bid worth a total of £121m for Nottingham Forest midfielder Anderson.

The Tricky Trees are keen to receive a British record transfer fee for the central midfielder, with City looking to get a deal over the line quickly, as there is a fear the England international’s price tag could rise even further if he impresses at the World Cup.

It is no wonder the Sky Blues have set out to sign the 23-year-old, given that he ranked in first place across a number of key metrics for midfielders in the Premier League last season.

However, another Premier League midfielder has also made his way onto the shortlist.

Man City eyeing move for “one of the best midfielders in Europe”

Fabrizio Romano has taken to X to drop an update on Man City’s interest in Anderson, stating they are ‘pushing’ to get a deal over the line, with rivals Manchester United also in the race for his signature.

However, Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali remains an option too, with City also eyeing a move for the Italian, but it could take a huge fee to tempt the Magpies into a sale.

Newcastle are expected to demand a whopping £100m for the former AC Milan man, whose camp has also been in talks with Man United and Arsenal.

Last season, the maestro made 35 Premier League appearances, and he received particularly high praise from reporter Andy Sixsmith, who said: “There’s a strong argument to suggest Sandro Tonali is one of the best midfielders in Europe right now. A ridiculously good football player.”

It was a disappointing campaign for Eddie Howe’s side, who missed out on European qualification entirely, but the 26-year-old managed to impress on a personal level.

An average FotMob match rating of 7.04 was the third-highest in the Newcastle squad, with the 32-cap Italy international crafting six big chances, which also ranked him in third place.

That said, Anderson created nine big chances and averaged a match rating of 7.51, which was the sixth-highest in the entire Premier League, so the Forest star should remain City’s priority target.

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