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Any hopes Elliot Anderson may have of joining Manchester City could be dashed with the Premier League giants reportedly prepared to walk away over the structure of his proposed transfer.
Nottingham Forest have rejected two bids from Manchester City for the midfielder, with the latest said to be worth £120m.
That would make Anderson the most expensive English player of all time - but Forest are said to be determined to hold out for a structure that works for them.
Manchester City ready to walk away from Elliot Anderson deal
The Mirror write that City's latest bid is structured as a guaranteed £100m, plus an additional £20m in add-ons.
The Guardian's numbers differ slightly: the place it at a £106m fee plus £16m in add-ons.
Either way, that does not wash with Forest, with owner Evangelos Marinakis wanting the full amount to be paid, rather than being contingent on add-ons.
The Forest chairman reasons that if Alexander Isak was worth £125m to Newcastle when they sold him to Liverpool last summer, then Anderson must also be worth at least that.
That could now lead to an impasse that sees the deal collapse, with Marinakis' opposite number, City chairman Kaldoon Al-Mubarak, believed to be willing to walk away rather than overpay.
City are keen to add to their midfield options following Bernardo Silva's departure, and Anderson's all-round game and set piece threat makes him an attractive prospect.
But the Mirror add that City's stance is that the 23-year-old Newcastle United youth product is still not proven at the very elite level and that the add-ons are fair in light of that.
Anderson already has plenty on his plate this summer as he looks set to play a key role alongside Declan Rice in the England midfield at the World Cup.
Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel said: "Elliot seems not affected. I won’t speak to him about it but my assistant coach spoke with him. It should push him because it’s proof of what he’s capable to do and at what level he can perform. At the moment it seems like a push for him.”
England will get their campaign started on Wednesday with their opening Group L game against Croatia
