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Manchester City and Manchester United transfer target Elliot Anderson has earned high praise from England boss Thomas Tuchel, who called him the "full package" on the eve of the World Cup.
Tuchel had his eye on the Nottingham Forest midfielder before he emerged as a household name and cemented himself as one of the Premier League's elite players at his position.
Anderson earned his first England cap in September 2025, at the outset of a league season in which he featured in every match for a battling Forest side, finishing the campaign with the highest totals for touches (3,300), duels won (297), fouls won (80) and possessions won (306) across the division.
He has forged an impressive partnership with Declan Rice at international level and is expected to be a key figure for England at the tournament in North America. The Three Lions kick off their World Cup campaign against old rivals Croatia next Wednesday.
'Top Player'—Tuchel Heaps Praise on In-Demand Elliot Anderson
Anderson's two outstanding seasons at the City Ground, combined with his impressive displays for the national side, have attracted serious interest from both Manchester clubs.
City and United are both keen to land Anderson this summer, and Tuchel is firmly among his admirers. "He's a top player," Tuchel said following England's pre-tournament win over Costa Rica. "There's nothing more to say, he's the full package.
The German declined to be drawn on speculation about Anderson's future, but did caution the 23-year-old about the risk of "changing" should he make the move to a bigger club.
"Even if a transfer goes through, hopefully he remains the same person. Nothing changes overnight—if he wakes up the next morning, he's not suddenly a different player."
It is expected to take a British record transfer fee for Forest to consider selling Anderson, with his price tag potentially reaching £120 million ($161 million).
"People will try to burden him with that price tag but, in reality, nothing changes—he simply moves clubs, and that's just how football works," Tuchel continued. "Hopefully he stays exactly the same—a humble, driven, hungry footballer."
Man City Leading the Chase for England Midfielder
While Man Utd remain interested, City are considerably further ahead in their pursuit of the combative midfielder.
The Cityzens have reportedly submitted an offer worth the aforementioned £120 million ($161 million), which includes £15 million ($20 million) in performance-related bonuses. Forest are holding out for a larger upfront payment, with owner Evangelos Marinakis refusing to budge.
Whether the two parties can find common ground remains unclear, with City also keeping tabs on Sandro Tonali as they look to replace Bernardo Silva, who appears destined for Real Madrid.
Rodri could still put pen to paper on a new deal after it emerged that Real Madrid have no plans to pursue him this summer, but Nico González, who only arrived at the club in January 2025, may already be heading for the exit. Tijjani Reijnders' situation is also uncertain.
There was a significant overhaul of City's midfield in the final stages of Guardiola's reign in Manchester. Now, it appears his likely replacement, Enzo Maresca, will be tasked with overseeing another.