Former England midfielder Paul Ince has cast doubt on Manchester City’s reported £116m pursuit of Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson.
He claims that the valuation is difficult to justify and warning that the player could struggle to meet expectations at the Etihad Stadium.
Anderson has emerged as one of the most talked-about midfielders in English football following a series of impressive performances for Nottingham Forest.
His rise has reportedly attracted strong interest from Manchester City, who are looking to strengthen their squad following a campaign in which they surrendered the Premier League title race.
However, Ince believes the fee being discussed places enormous pressure on the 23-year-old and raises questions about whether his current level of performance matches such a substantial investment.
The former Manchester United midfielder was particularly unimpressed by Anderson’s display in England’s goalless World Cup draw with Ghana in Boston on Tuesday.
While Anderson started alongside Declan Rice in midfield, Ince felt the Forest player failed to make a significant attacking impact and spent too much time operating in deeper areas of the pitch.
Speaking about the reported valuation, Ince drew comparisons with some of the Premier League’s most accomplished midfielders.
“If he is worth that then Rice must be worth about £200m, and Roy Keane, in his prime, must have been worth £300m.”
The comments underline Ince’s belief that Anderson remains some distance away from the standards set by some of the game’s elite midfielders.
Although he acknowledged Anderson’s talent, Ince questioned what the player contributed during England’s latest outing. He argued that a more influential display was required from a midfielder carrying such a lofty reputation.
“Anderson is a good player but I’m not entirely sure what he does in a game like that.”
Concerns over Anderson’s role against Ghana
England entered the match hoping to secure qualification progress, but struggled to break down a disciplined Ghana side.
The contest ended without a goal, leaving Thomas Tuchel’s team with work still to do heading into their final group fixture against Panama.
For Ince, one of the key issues was Anderson’s positioning. He felt the midfielder frequently drifted too deep, limiting his ability to affect the game in advanced areas where England needed creativity and attacking thrust.
“Against Ghana, there was a lot of side-to-side passing and he was even dropping behind his own centre-halves to pick the ball up.”
Ince argued that such movement may be unnecessary against opposition sitting deep and allowing possession.
Instead, he believes Anderson should be positioning himself higher up the field to create danger and support England’s forwards.
“You don’t need to be there against Ghana, you need to be further up the park to threaten them.”
The former England international also highlighted what he sees as a lack of attacking output from Anderson, particularly in terms of goalscoring opportunities and attempts on goal.
“How many shots does Anderson actually have from midfield? Not many.”
While praising Anderson’s technical quality and work ethic, Ince insisted that modern top-level midfielders must consistently influence matches in the final third.
“He’s a very good player but there needs to be more to his game — especially if we’re talking about him being a £100m player.”
Ferguson comparison and England’s challenge ahead
Ince also reflected on his own playing days under legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, using the comparison to explain why he disagrees with Anderson’s tendency to drop so deep.
The former midfielder recalled how Ferguson demanded his players occupy advanced positions and influence matches closer to the opposition goal.
“If Sir Alex Ferguson saw me dropping behind Gary Pallister and Steve Bruce to pick up the ball, he’d be screaming at me.”
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According to Ince, Ferguson’s response would have been immediate and direct.
“He’d be saying: ‘Get up the park!’”
The former United midfielder explained that his role was to receive possession in more dangerous areas rather than collecting the ball alongside defenders.
“I should be getting the ball 20 yards further up, not five yards behind my centre-backs.”
Despite the criticism, Anderson remains an important figure in Tuchel’s England setup.
Alongside Rice, he has started both of the nation’s World Cup matches and appears to have established himself as part of the manager’s preferred midfield partnership.
