Elliot Anderson’s reaction to £130m Man Utd and City transfer battle | Football | Sport

Elliot Anderson has been hailed as the “full package” after establishing himself as England’s most coveted midfielder. That is the verdict of England manager Thomas Tuchel, who delivered a glowing endorsement of the Nottingham Forest star. Tuchel also believes the intense transfer interest surrounding Anderson could elevate his game even further, giving him the self-belief to truly perform like the record-breaking talent he is.

Anderson finds himself at the centre of a fierce transfer battle after Manchester City lodged a £100m-plus offer for the England international, with Forest holding out for a Premier League record fee for a midfielder in excess of £110m. Manchester United have also been in contention, and Anderson could easily have allowed all the speculation to unsettle him in the build-up to the World Cup.

However, Tuchel insists the opposite has been true, pointing to Anderson’s outstanding performance in England’s final friendly against Costa Rica as testament to his immense value.

Tuchel has already made his position clear that he will not prevent his players from discussing transfers while in camp, though he expects them to set such matters aside ahead of match days during the tournament.

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Nevertheless, Tuchel has expressed absolutely no concern about Anderson or whether a high-profile transfer might unsettle him, even if he has left any such discussions to assistant coach Anthony Barry.

Tuchel said: “He’s a top player. There’s nothing more to say, he’s the full package. I’m happy that he’s with us on that kind of level and he’s a key player for us.

“The bid? No comment! He seems not affected. It was an amazing performance against Costa Rica, he’s fine.

“I won’t speak to him about it. My assistant coach spoke with him about it but I won’t. It should push him because it’s proof of what he’s capable to do and what level he can perform. At the moment it seems like a push for him.

“Even if a transfer is completed, hopefully he stays the same person. Nothing will change overnight with him if he wakes up, he’s not a new player.

“People will try to hang around his neck this price but in reality nothing changes. He just changes the club, that’s the rules of the game.

“Hopefully he just stays the same – a humble, determined, hungry football player. Absolutely, he is very level-headed.

“I hope it boosts his confidence (if it happens). I don’t want to go into it too much if it’s a boost or not a boost – what I see on the training pitch is no distractions, full commitment, that’s what comes from him.”

Tuchel has already witnessed one of his England stars depart in a lucrative transfer to a high-profile club. Anthony Gordon’s £70m move from Newcastle to Barcelona was completed shortly before the tournament, though concerns lingered after the winger barely featured in the final weeks of the season, with Newcastle evidently holding back his appearances in anticipation of the deal.

However, Gordon delivered an outstanding performance against Costa Rica, and his superior pressing ability, work rate, combined with a goal and an assist, may well have elevated him above Marcus Rashford for the starting berth on the left flank against Croatia.

Tuchel says the move to Barcelona has given him a significant confidence lift and highlighted the qualities he consistently demonstrates in every outing.

Tuchel added: “He’s strongest if he plays humble and like a physical winger. That’s, for me, his key strengths – acceleration, deceleration and another intense run, another intense run, helping the counter press, working defence. He is painful to defend against, especially in the heat here.

“I think he has a confidence boost because of the step to Barcelona but I hope it doesn’t change his style of play because I’m very sure that’s what Barcelona expect from him.”

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