Nottingham Forest are facing trouble this season, sitting in 17th place in the Premier League as of this writing, but they still have some great talent in their squad.
Elliot Anderson has caught some attention, having played 15 games in the EPL over 1350 minutes, scoring 1 goal and assisting 1.
When he joined Nottingham Forest in 2024, he had a €22m market valuation; right now, he’s doubled that, with a current market value of €45m, per Transfermarkt.
Manchester United, Manchester City, and Real Madrid are three top clubs that have been linked with the player in the past few weeks, but there may be a huge asking price for Elliot Anderson next summer.
In this Elliot Anderson scout report, we are going to take a look at the role Anderson plays in the NFFC team under Sean Dyche, how he helps them in all phases of play, his best traits, some improvements in his game, and which club we think he can fit into best after Nottingham Forest.
Elliot Anderson Stats
Elliot Anderson is a great two-way player with strong defensive and offensive traits.
When compared with other players in his position from Europe’s top-five leagues this season, he ranks in the 92.1th percentile for defensive duels per 90, which shows he is eager to challenge opponents, but ranks in the 47.2th percentile for defensive duels won.
This shows that although he is eager to jump into defensive duels, his efficiency in those duels could be improved.
Surprisingly, he ranks in the 98.4th percentile for touches in the opponent’s penalty area, showing that he does like to join the attack and is comfortable with touching the ball in the final third.
He ranks in the 80.57th percentile for dangerous passes per 90 and the 84.6th percentile for progressive passes per 90, which shows he is a forward-looking midfielder with tons of vision on the pitch.
Elliot Anderson Pizza Chart 2025/2026
Elliot Anderson Style Of Play
Elliot Anderson Defensive Positioning
One of the reasons top clubs are looking at Elliot Anderson is due to his defensive positioning and awareness.
He understands zonal marking and the space he should keep between himself and other players.
He understands there are two players on his side of the pitch as they put pressure on the Nottingham Forest penalty box, but he doesn’t man-mark any of them.
Instead, he’s on his toes and ready to pounce into a defensive duel when the ball switches sides.
His understanding of zonal marking is elite.
Another example of defensive positioning is in the wide zones.
Often, a midfielder will need to cover the wings and, at times, mark wingers on the opponent’s team, as we’ve seen before.
But that is where most midfielders lose composure and get lost when moving out wide into unfamiliar zones and defending fast wingers; Elliot Anderson doesn’t.
He understands that the space behind him is open and the attacker wants to run into that in a one-two pass, so he doesn’t press man-to-man.
He keeps some space between himself and the attacker who wants that space in behind.
Elliot Anderson Defensive Duels
As the radar map showed before, he loves his defensive duels.
If you take a misstep, he likes to jump in very quickly and try to win back possession.
He averages 1.27 fouls per 90, which may be due to jumping in quickly, because you’re more prone to making contact, and you lose that sense of intuition at times, but he also has 2.67 fouls drawn per 90, showing he’s not afraid of contact and playing for possession.
Elliot Anderson Aerial Duels
A part of his game that is a little weak is his aerial duels.
He has not got the best timing.
His jump is at times too early or too late, or he cannot make up his mind in time and will stand there while the opponent jumps for it instead.
Height certainly is not an issue, standing at 179 cm.
He can challenge duels, but the timing needs to be worked on.
Elliot Anderson Passing
This is why his radar map showed him in the high percentiles for dangerous passes and progressive passes: he is a very forward-thinking midfielder who is mostly playing in a defensive midfielder role.
He sees the gaps and open space and plays a perfectly weighted pass into his winger.
In this exact frame, many midfielders would try to take a few more steps forward into that green space and then release the ball, but by then, it may be too late.
He sees the opportunity to get in behind now, and he plays the through ball.
His clinical, quick decision-making not only helps them in the middle of the pitch but also in the final third.
He is very quick; he sees his striker looking to cut in and waits until the perfect moment to release it, which ends up in a goal.
Elliot Anderson In Build-Up
In build-up, Elliot Anderson likes to drop past the strikers of the other team that are pressing and be a reliable option in building out from the back and transitioning the team forward.
He is a very patient player; he doesn’t force the pass forward in build-up.
He likes to stay patient and swing it at the back until they find a time to play it forward.
Movement is critical in build-up play, and the most elite midfielders know where to be and when.
After playing his passes, he immediately looks to shift between two Everton players and be an option through that gap.
No standing still, just movement and looking for the following sequence to come to him.
Elliot Anderson Manchester City Transfer
Based on the clubs linked with him in the past few weeks, Manchester City looks like his best fit.
Even outside of the linked clubs, being under Pep Guardiola would be the most beneficial move for his career.
He is a very versatile and intelligent player, a very capable creator, but with more defensive skills and capabilities.
He can be key to defensive stability for the club and would fit in great with their build-up play tactics, and as a player who can look forward and get close to the penalty box, which can help out Erling Haaland up top as well.
The €100m price tag may be high, but it is worth it for a 23-year-old who has played at both Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, where he has built his foundation already.
Manchester City will be the club that can elevate him to near-world-class status, where his potential lies.
Conclusion
Elliot Anderson is a young talent who will continue to grow at an insane rate.
Being a great player in a troublesome club at the moment, like Nottingham Forest, builds character.
He is a great two-way player.
He is defensively strong not only in a physical sense but also intelligence-wise.
He has the capabilities to move higher up the pitch and lend a hand in attacking play.
The price tag for this player will only rise.
If a top club wants to get him and bolster their squad over the summer, this is the player, and now is the opportunity to get him before many other names start flocking around the player.
