What makes Elliot Anderson a £100m player?

Max Beacham·

After just a few months, Elliot Anderson has become one of Thomas Tuchel’s favourite players and looks set to play at the World Cup next summer. With Nottingham Forest valuing the England midfielder at over £100m, Max Beacham takes a look at the Geordie Maradona’s rise to the top

The start to Nottingham Forest’s season will be one to truly remember — for all the wrong reasons. This time last year Forest were sat in fifth with 19 points, dreaming of a European charge. Now we sit 19th on nine points, and it’s hard to find many positives from the past three months. But one thing remains: Elliot Anderson’s world-class performances.

Now a starter for the England national team, it’s hard to find a fault in his game. With England boss Thomas Tuchel recently expressing his admiration for the ‘Geordie Maradona’ — “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League” — the question now is simple: can Forest keep him at the City Ground?

In Possession Stats

Since the start of the Premier League season, Anderson has been in a league of his own when it comes to progressing the ball forward. He currently ranks first for successful passes into the final third with 161, sitting 19 ahead of Declan Rice.

Considering the start to the season we’ve had to watch, it’s remarkable that one of our own is leading the league in this metric while we sit 19th.

Another major reason he has become so important for both club and country is his press resistance when in possession. Whether receiving with his back to goal or driving through the opposition midfield, his calmness, strength and technical quality consistently stand out. These traits, combined with his passing range, have become key to his success this season.

An argument of course can be made that he is a holding midfielder, with a good passing range looking at the data, but once you delve deeper you can find he is also leading the race for the most offensive touches out of any defensively minded player.

His ability to now get forward and help the team attack and hold back the opposition is going to be a real strength this season, especially when we start to retain the ball better under Sean Dyche.

One area that would elevate him even further is adding goals and assists. It’s not currently his role, but when you look at other top midfielders in the league, like Rice or Moisés Caicedo contributing five or more goal involvements, it’s a natural next step in his development.

Out of Possession Stats

However, Anderson is always everywhere on the pitch, whether that’s for club or country, Premier League or Europa League it doesn’t matter. As shown on the heat map for this season, Elliot still remains operating in that right midfielder role often in the double pivot alongside Douglas Luiz or Ibrahim Sangaré. He, again, like most metrics this season ranks in the top five for tackles made and his off the ball work is arguably his best skill.

Versatility

Anderson’s ability to play multiple midfield roles is one of the biggest reasons Tuchel rates him so highly. Despite being just 23, his mature style allows him to adapt to almost any situation.

At Forest he has often played box-to-box, but under Tuchel he has evolved into a controlling No.6 capable of dictating tempo. This tactical intelligence makes him a manager’s dream and is a major reason he is now one of the first names on any team sheet he’s involved in.

For England, his versatility is gold. It allows Tuchel to change systems mid-game without losing control. For Forest, as we all know, it means he often ends up doing two jobs at once, driving forward when needed and then becoming a physical presence against the opposition midfield moments later.

His Future

His quality is undeniable, and with his recent performances for England, it’s clear just how much talent he possesses. As a player central to Forest’s identity and a key factor in any success the club can hope to achieve, it is vital that the club does everything possible to retain him at least until the summer.

Tied down to a long-term contract, with no release clause or buy-back option for Newcastle United, it’s likely the Reds would only entertain the idea of a £100m+ sale after next summer’s World Cup — when his value could rise further.

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