Elliot Anderson is set to face his former club, Newcastle United, with Nottingham Forest on Wednesday evening. The 21-year-old completed a £35 million transfer from Newcastle to Forest in June, a move driven by Newcastle’s need to adhere to Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules and avoid a possible points deduction.
As part of the transfer, goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos moved in the opposite direction. The Greek international is already rumored to be considering a move away, given the club’s surplus of senior goalkeepers.
Anderson made his debut for Forest as a substitute in their opening-day draw against AFC Bournemouth and started in their 1-0 win over Southampton over the weekend. He previously made 55 first-team appearances for Newcastle.
When discussing Anderson’s transfer and performance, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe remarked, “Everything you mentioned is absolutely correct. It was good to see Elliot perform well against Southampton; he was excellent and played a key role in their midfield. However, it was bittersweet for me, as we lost not just a great player but a great person from our group. We wish him well, though we are competing against him in this match.”
Following Anderson’s departure, Newcastle’s midfield will be reinforced by the return of Sandro Tonali, who has completed his 10-month betting ban and is available for selection.
Howe has yet to decide if Tonali will start but indicated there will be changes to the team that drew with Bournemouth. “We’ll aim to field a strong team,” Howe said. “We want to advance, and we’ll make adjustments while ensuring the quality of the squad remains high.”
