Nottingham Forest can 'rub salt in wound' after Newcastle United transfer regret
A few days after putting pen to paper for Nottingham Forest, Elliot Anderson represented his new club for the first time.
The June 30 deadline for compliance with financial rules allowed the Reds to take advantage of Newcastle United’s need to sell and Anderson signed a five-year deal at the City Ground. His £35 million switch was effectively a £15m fee as Odysseas Vlachodimos headed in the opposite direction for £20m as part of the package, but the midfielder was nevertheless determined to repay the faith shown.
After taking to the pitch for Forest’s opening friendly of last summer, away to Chesterfield, Anderson said: “It’s always good knowing that a club want you. Being a homegrown boy for Newcastle, I think you always get treated as a homegrown kid. Here, I’m coming in as a signing, which is always beneficial to the player. I just want to show the fans that I’m worth that money.”
READ MORE: Newcastle United receive huge double boost ahead of Nottingham Forest
READ MORE: Former Chelsea ace on Nottingham Forest 'radar' as transfer stance set out
He has certainly done that. And arguably more. If anything, his transfer value has shot up in the intervening months.
When Anderson returns to St James’ Park this weekend for the first time since his exit, it would be understandable if he has mixed emotions. The 22-year-old has admitted it was “tough” to leave his boyhood club, but there is no doubt he has thrived Trentside.
Midfield is one area where head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has plenty of options. When everyone is fit most of the starting XI picks itself, but there can be some debate over the first-choice pairing in the centre of the pitch.
There can be no leaving out Anderson, though. Generally it is a case of deciding who would be best to play alongside him.
When he runs out against the Magpies on Sunday (2pm kick-off), the hosts will no doubt be filled with transfer regret. After all, boss Eddie Howe has been open about how he didn’t want to let such a promising young talent go. Forest, and Anderson, will be out to rub salt in that wound over the course of the 90 minutes.
The Reds have been on the other side of the Profitability and Sustainability Rules, of course, having been docked four points last season for breaching them. Nuno is under no doubt that finances were central to a fairly quiet winter window across the whole of the Premier League. Come the end of this June, it would be no surprise to see clubs scrambling to raise funds again.
“It has had a massive effect on transfers, not only for January but also for June,” Nuno recently said of the financial regulations. “PSR is present in the lives of football clubs these days and they have to keep looking at it.
“It has now changed everything for everybody. Nobody wants to risk a situation like we had last season (the points deduction), so that’s why you sometimes see things that don’t make much sense.”
This week’s report that Anderson was left “shocked” at how events unfolded last summer sums up the different sides of the PSR coin. The England Under-21 international is said to have turned down a chance to sign for Wolverhampton Wanderers as he expected Newcastle to “brush off” any approaches for his signature.
That didn’t prove to be the case, and the Reds have reaped the rewards. Anderson has also benefitted from the regular game time his switch south produced.
Continue on the same upward curve and he could be in with a chance of being in Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions squad when England face Senegal at the City Ground in June. At present, he is competing with Nikolas Milenkovic for the accolade of Forest’s signing of the season.
There is more to come from him, too. He is still a young man with plenty of room for development. To that end, with the likes of Anthony Elanga, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Danilo, Murillo, Morgan Gibbs-White, Neco Williams and, come the summer, Tyler Bindon, in the squad, Nuno has a group of players who can progress individually and collectively.
“It has been the policy of the club, trying to get young players to make them grow together. It ensures the future of the club,” Nuno recently said when discussing the winter deadline day signing of Bindon. Anderson is a big part of that.
