How did Man City win the Elliot Anderson race?

Summary

The Athletic FC Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode: How did Man City win the Elliot Anderson race?

Release Date: June 26, 2026
Host(s): Adam Leventhal, Emma Paton
Guests: David Ornstein, Sam Lee, Tim Spears, Cerys Jones

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into Manchester City’s record-breaking £116 million acquisition of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, unpacks what this means for City, Forest, and the broader Premier League transfer landscape, and sweeps through key World Cup happenings—most notably Ecuador’s sensational comeback win over Germany. There’s also insight into the tournament’s emerging stars and the at-times-controversial officiating. The episode blends sharp analysis with the lively repartee typical of The Athletic’s flagship football show.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Elliot Anderson’s Transfer to Manchester City

Segment Start: [02:16]

• David Ornstein’s Transfer Breakdown ([03:12]):

  • Man City sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million—breaking both clubs’ transfer records and setting a new mark for a British transfer.
  • “The deal is worth £116 million. No further bonuses, add-ons or future payments. It’s a fixed, guaranteed fee… a situation that suits all parties.” – David Ornstein [03:21]
  • 5-year contract (+1 year option), pending medical and personal terms.

• Why Anderson? – Discussion with Sam Lee ([17:16]):

  • City targeted Anderson for his Premier League experience, physical attributes, and homegrown status.
  • “He’s a physical guy, which is useful in midfield…he’s English, he’s proven…and he’s played in European competitions. Because to be fair, that could be a bit of an adjustment if you don’t play those games and you come to a team when you’ve got to play every three or four days.” – Sam Lee [17:51]
  • His ability to handle a demanding schedule and his mentality fits City’s needs post-Guardiola.

• Impact on City’s Midfield ([18:49]):

  • Anderson replaces Bernardo Silva—vital for control and “Guardiola blueprint”.
  • New manager Enzo Maresca’s style meshes with Anderson’s physical, deep-lying approach.
  • City may still pursue Tonali, dependent on outgoings like Rodri or Nico Gonzalez ([20:23]).
  • “If you ticked all the other boxes, [the transfer fee] would probably be, what, 70, 80 million. But when you’ve got an English player…and a selling club…that’s when it starts to become expensive.” – Sam Lee [18:22]

• Is Anderson Worth the Fee? ([22:16])

  • “Probably no human is.” – Tim Spears [22:16]
  • English and Premier League taxes inflated the figure, but his talent is not debated.
  • Newcastle fans rue losing Anderson for £35 million just two years ago.

• Domino Effect in the Transfer Market ([24:02])

  • Forest could target Spurs’ Lucas Bergvall as a replacement; Spurs and City both keen on Tonali.
  • The explosion in high-value central midfield moves; Newcastle could leverage the Anderson fee to get a better deal for Tonali.
  • “Last year was…the summer of the striker…I think we’ve now got the summer of the central midfielder.” – Cerys Jones [24:02]

2. World Cup 2026: The Group Stage & Ecuador’s Heroics

Segment Start: [04:45]

• Ecuador 2–1 Germany ([05:17]):

  • Ecuador’s comeback triggers a national holiday; described as “one of the best moments of the World Cup so far.” – Tim Spears [05:17]
  • Powerful emotional scenes in the crowd and with the manager and his family.
  • Cerys notes Ecuador finally lived up to their “dark horse” billing with a performance that was “not a smash and grab” ([05:43]).
  • Germany’s failure is partly attributed to a lack of urgency, possibly due to already being qualified ([05:43]).

• Jeopardy in the Group Stage ([06:44]):

  • Tim Spears laments the “real lack of jeopardy” compared to previous tournaments, with more dead rubbers and teams qualifying on draws rather than do-or-die matches ([06:58]).
  • Adam Leventhal and Cerys point out some matches, like US vs Turkey, provided drama regardless ([08:27]).

• Refereeing and VAR at the World Cup ([09:06]):

  • Adam is baffled by a missed high boot in Germany vs Ecuador; Tim highlights a trend toward Premier League-style officiating—letting the game flow at the expense of missed fouls and less VAR intervention.
  • Examples: non-penalty calls for Ghana, Mbappé vs Senegal, Messi not sent off, contributing to referee controversies ([09:49]).
  • “We’re seeing some really, really bad mistakes, but perhaps not as much VAR intervention as you get on the continent.” – Tim Spears [10:10]

• Germany’s (and Neuer’s) Troubles ([10:38]):

  • Alan Shearer’s criticism of Neuer on BBC; no clean sheets in 9 WC matches ([10:38]).
  • Both Tim and Cerys agree Neuer looked shaky, but also credit Plata for the winner.
  • Germany likely to face Paraguay, Ecuador likely to face Mexico ([12:05]).

• Other Group Updates ([13:00]):

  • Ivory Coast clinches Group E second place; Australia and the Netherlands advance as expected.
  • Japan secures a notable clash with Brazil in the round of 32. Cerys and Tim praise Japan’s style and potential to upset ([13:00]).

3. Breakout Stars of the Tournament

Segment Start: [13:52]

• Discussion: Favourite New Players ([14:15]):
  • Cerys: Ismail Saibari (Morocco) – scored a memorable dink and continues to impress ([14:15]).
  • Tim: Karimov (Uzbekistan), 18, “very mature for his age…this is one of the things that is so great about a World Cup that an 18-year-old kid…gets this sort of spotlight.” ([14:32])
  • Other notable mentions: Ali Begovic (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Manzambi (Switzerland), Elijah Just (New Zealand/Motherwell).

4. Fun & Quizzes

Segment Start: [28:32]

• Quickfire quiz: Record for most saves in a World Cup match is Tim Howard (16), USA vs Belgium, 2014 ([28:55]).

5. Star of Soccer: Alireza Beiranvand

Segment Start: [30:43]

• Focus on Iran’s Goalkeeper
  • Only GK to save a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty in a World Cup ([30:43]).
  • Remarkable background: Kurdish heritage, ex-shepherd, worked his way up from poverty, now Iran’s most capped GK.
  • “He’s also a two-time entrant in the Guinness Book of Records…longest throw—just over 61 meters…and drop kick—over 78 meters.” – Cerys Jones [31:54]
  • Adam recounts Beiranvand’s influence in the Iran squad, including singing folk songs for teammates during challenging journeys ([32:25]).
  • Tim and Adam praise Iran’s resilience amidst tumult and migration, calling their World Cup progress “incredible” ([33:58]).

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Memorable Quotes & Highlights

• David Ornstein on the transfer:
  “It breaks their incoming transfer record, it breaks Nottingham Forest’s outgoing transfer record…a situation that suits all parties.” [03:21]
• Tim Spears on the World Cup format:
  “There’s a real lack of jeopardy…it’s been a really good World Cup so far, but this last round of group stage games, there’s hardly any jeopardy at all.” [06:58]
• Adam Leventhal on VAR:
  “You want fairness. And if it’s going to lead to a team going out, which it could well have done for Ecuador, then that wouldn’t have been fair on them.” [10:38]
• Tim Spears on transfer fees:
  “Probably no human is [worth £116 million].” [22:16]
• Sam Lee on the Anderson deal:
  “He’s a physical guy, which is useful…he’s English, he’s proven…so in that sense he just ticks all those boxes.” [17:51]
• Cerys Jones on Iran’s GK Beiranvand:
  “He was born into a nomadic Kurdish tribe in the mountains…now he’s at a World Cup. It’s an incredible story.” [30:54]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:16] – Introduction & Elliot Anderson transfer background
• [03:12] – David Ornstein’s exclusive on the Anderson deal
• [04:45] – World Cup discussion: Ecuador vs Germany
• [13:52] – Breakout stars of the tournament
• [17:16] – Deep dive: Why Man City moved for Anderson (Sam Lee)
• [18:49] – What Anderson brings to City & transfer dominoes
• [22:16] – Is Anderson worth £116 million?
• [24:02] – Forest’s next moves and broader midfield transfer impacts
• [28:32] – World Cup trivia quiz
• [30:43] – Iran’s GK Beiranvand: Story and impact

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Conclusion

This episode expertly weaves together transfer market drama, World Cup emotional rollercoasters, and the context behind the biggest stories in football. The panel delivers authoritative analysis with an engaging, relatable tone, balancing hard data with human narrative. Whether you’re invested in the transfer saga, following World Cup intrigue, or fascinated by football’s unlikely heroes, this episode offers all the context and color you need.

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Transcript

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[Adam Leventhal]

the Athletic FC. Hi there and welcome to the Athletic FC podcast with me, Adam Leventhal So Manchester City have agreed a 116 million pounds deal to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. So how did they win the battle for his signature? And at the World cup, did Ecuador produce the performance of the tournament? One goal to change their lives.

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[Adam Leventhal]

It is touched in. And Ecuador are alive and kicking. Well, Keris Jones and Tim Spears are here with me in the studio. Let's start by getting a flavour of that big transfer deal. England's Elliot Anderson moving from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City. A record deal for a British player. Let's get the details with David Ornstein.

[David Ornstein]

Welcome to New York, the city that never sleeps. The sun may be setting, but the fun is only just getting started. But in the Big Apple, big news can arise at any moment and that's certainly the case on this occasion because Manchester City have reached an agreement with Nottingham Forest to sign Elliot Anderson. The deal is worth £116 million. £116. No further bonuses, add ons or future payments. It's a fixed guaranteed fee. The expectation is Anderson will sign a contract spanning five years with the option to extend by a further 12 months. And once he's undergone a medical and finalized personal terms, he. He will become a Manchester City player. Anderson was City's top target for this summit in a key area of the pitch that they wanted to strengthen him. There were quite prolonged talks between the clubs, offers made, offers rejected, and only on Thursday we reported on the Athletic that City had submitted a fresh, improved proposal for Anderson, that the clubs were discussing it and City were pushing hard to bridge the gap between valuations and get the deal done. That's exactly what has now happened. It breaks their incoming transfer record, it breaks Nottingham Forest's outgoing transfer record and it gives Anderson, at the age of 23, the opportunity to play Champions League football and compete for the biggest trophies at club level. So a situation that suits all parties. A very, very big story delivered from here in the Big Apple.

[Adam Leventhal]

David Ornstein on great form there. We'll have much more on that story a little bit later on. Our Manchester City reporter, Sam Lee is going to be joining us. We'll talk with Keris and Tim about the domino effect as well. But we do need to digest what we've seen since we were last with you at the World Cup. In particular, Ecuador's 21 comeback win against Germany, sending them through to the round of 16. And back in Ecuador, a national holiday has been declared because of that victory. How much did you enjoy it?

[Tim]

Yeah, amazing. Yeah. One of the one of the best moments of the World cup so far just, you know, exacerbated by the fact that they've got so many fans there. Just great scenes. There's this sea of yellow that we're getting. You know, the manager jumping into the crowd with his family. There's a lot of blonde hair going on there, you know, and like. Yeah, just people in tears in the stands. It was just. Yeah, amazing, amazing scenes.

[Adam Leventhal]

Do you make it the best performance of the tournament so far?

[Cerys]

I don't know about that. I mean, it's nice of Ecuador to join us finally after being billed as dark horses and then us all going where. No, they were really good. And it's not like this was a smash and grab. They were really good value for that win. I think probably other sides have produced more complete performances where they've been a bit more efficient, but it was. It was a great. You know, it was a great performance. The goals that they scored I was really impressed by, particularly the first. I think, considering we've spoken about their lack of quality in the final third, to have the confidence to take that shot on so quickly was really important. And it was really unexpected as well, because when Germany went ahead early on, that's curtains. I really wasn't expecting them to come back from that. I don't know if Germany maybe took their foot off the gas a little bit, knowing that they were already kind of safe and qualified, but it also, you know, they were clearly very frustrated and were clearly pushing for the result as well. So it was a really entertaining game and it was nice to see that even when one team didn't have that level of jeopardy, both sort of still went for it.

[Tim]

No, it's great. I mean, they've done it the hard way, by the way. Like, their results in the group are a bit crazy, but I think it does stand out because we're not getting any. Any of these games. In the final round of group matches. There's a real.

[Adam Leventhal]

You don't like it, do you?

[Tim]

I've been really disappointed with it, I have to say. There's a real lack of jeopardy.

[Adam Leventhal]

So that was the exception rather than the rule.

[Tim]

Well, there's a complete lack of two teams playing each other, knowing that the winner loses. We're not getting that at all. You know, Ecuador's. In the last World Cup, Ecuador v Senegal was a do or die match. They were in Group A in Qatar, in the Netherlands group, and it was one all until late on. And a draw would have sent Ecuador through in second. And then Senegal Won and knocked Ecuador out. And you know, we all remember the Germany, Japan, Spain, Costa Rica group where everything was on the line from first to fourth in the last round of matches. There's none of that this time. There's a real, there's a real lack of jeopardy. It's been a really good World cup so far and I think we're going to get a trade off in that. We're going to get this sort of bonus knockout round of last 32 where there are some really good ties being lined up like Japan, Brazil for one, France maybe against Sweden. So that's a bonus level of great knockout matches to come. But this last round of group stage games, yeah, there's hardly any jeopardy at all and you know, you got teams playing for a draw to go through. This isn't. That isn't right. The whole head to head record I don't like either. So it's a. But do you agree? I think it's a bit underwhelming.

[Adam Leventhal]

It is. But then we have had a game like we saw with Ecuador, you know, coming from behind and also you do avoid, you know, third and fourth in a group and if they're what, over three points behind, they're not going to qualify. So you don't get dead rubbers.

[Tim]

Yeah, but I think there are dead rubbers anyway. I think Paraguay, Australia was a dead rubber.

[Cerys]

Yes, Paraguay, Australia on the one hand. But on the other hand the US versus Turkey, I mean Turkey were out. The US top their group and we still saw, obviously it's a host nation, so it's a bit different, but it was still a really kind of full blooded game. So I think a lot of it just depends on the individual match as well.

[Tim]

Although Turkey would have still been in it in the last World cup, potentially in that last match.

[Cerys]

Yeah, I know that is true.

[Tim]

And also this weird thing of teams waiting a few days before they know if they're knocked out and you know, that's just. There's no drama for Scotland there, sitting in their hotel room being told that they're out. Do you know what I mean? You want to. Not necessarily because of Scotland, but you want to see them distraught on the pitch and lying on the turf and we're out. You know what I mean?

[Adam Leventhal]

Well, and also for the fans as well. How the hell they're supposed to plan whether they're going to stay or not, you know, with the cost so high as well is a pertinent point to raise as well. Let's just pull on a couple of strands from that Ecuador game because I simultaneously loved and hated the performance of the referee, Tory Penso. She was letting the game flow. But you can't let people kick people in the head and just let it go on and ignore it. I was really surprised that that first goal for Germany stood Pavlovic kicking Vita in the head and it was just allowed to happen. I was completely staggered by that. Were you?

[Tim]

Yeah, we've had a few of these in this tournament. I think Pierluigi Collina said before the tournament that they kind of wanted to see a Premier League style of refereeing, which we're all maybe aghast at. And we are seeing that. We're seeing referees let things go a bit more like they were doing compared to the continent. But I think what that creates is that var are then reluctant to get involved and change in every decision. So you're seeing bad decisions being let go and then var unwilling to really intervene. And there have been some shockers. I mean, obviously the Conta foul for what should be in a Ghana penalty, the MBAPPE1v Senegal was atrocious. And I do. And arguably Messi should have been sent off as well, right down the calf. So I do think we are seeing, actually, yes, we are seeing Premier League style refereeing because we're seeing some really, really bad mistakes, but perhaps not as much var intervention as you maybe get on the continent.

[Adam Leventhal]

It's a difficult one to balance, isn't it, because you don't want too much var, but you also do want fairness. And if it's going to lead to a team going out, which it could well have done for, for Ecuador, then that wouldn't have been fair on them. But we had the. We had the comeback. Alan Shearer on the BBC commentary was tearing strips off Manuel Neuer after Plata scored the winner for Ecuador. No clean sheets in his last nine World cup matches. Now, look, I don't want to do down Manuel Neuer because he has been an exceptional goalkeeper, but do you agree that he's not a fine wine that is aging well? Do you think he's maybe. Is he corked now or not?

[Tim]

I mean, there was kind of. When Neuer came into the squad late doors, it was kind of like, wow, that's great news for Germany. But, yeah, what he did for the. For the. For the. For the winning goal, he obviously should have saved that. The Germany defense looks a bit wobbly and I think he's. He's part of that. You know, there are weaknesses in this Germany team. You have to say they haven't convinced yet. I know they won 71 in their first match, but you look at what they did throughout the groups, they don't look like potential winners to me. And Neuer's part of that problem.

[Cerys]

There was a really hairy moment just before that winner as well where I think it was Caicedo went for like a dink over the top and Neuer came out for it and he got his wires crossed with Jonathan Tar and they were lucky to get away with that one. So it wasn't like it was a one off sort of mistake for the winning goal. But also I think we really need to give credit to Platter for the finish as well. To get the boot in that quickly without committing a foul, it's an amazing reaction and he deserves credit for the finish as well as sort of the mistake from Neuer.

[Adam Leventhal]

Well, what we do know is that Germany are all but certain to face Paraguay in the round of 32. That's a 99% chance. Ecuador likely to face Mexico at the Azteca, which will be a fantastic game. You can keep in touch with all the latest projections, by the way, on the Athletic. That applies to Scotland fans as well. They're currently in the eighth position of those best third place teams, so it's looking unlikely, but you never know. Elsewhere we saw Ivory coast through as runners up in Group E. They beat Curacao 2 0. Australia joining the US in progressing from Group D. Nil. Nil with Paraguay and the Netherlands are through as we expected after beating Tunisia, top of Group F. Japan's draw one one with Sweden gave them second place and they're going to be playing Brazil in the round of 32. That's going to be another cracking game, isn't it?

[Cerys]

That would be brilliant. I've said before, I've really enjoyed watching Japan so far. I don't. That Sweden draw wasn't, you know, wasn't the most captivating, but it sort of. It picked up as it went on. I think the way that they attack is superb. I think that Brazil will test their defense a lot more as well. We spoke yesterday about Brazil's kind of pressure and how they look to. To hunt teams down. That's a threat that I don't think Japan have really faced yet. So I'm interested to see how they deal with that. Yeah, that'll be a fantastic tie.

[Tim]

Japan actually beat Brazil in a friendly last October. In Japan, it's 3:2. I think there are a lot of subs and, you know, but still they'll take so much Confidence from that. They obviously beat England at Wembley as well. I think they're an extremely dangerous opponent and it's sort of. It's got the hallmarks of when Brazil got knocked out by Croatia last time where they just couldn't break Croatia down. Japan would be such a threat on the counter. Yeah, that might be, you know, that could be a bit of a big upset.

[Adam Leventhal]

Yeah, it's exciting. We will see. Now to our discussion of the day, sponsored by Threads. Now, last night we asked our Threads followers for their breakout player of the tournament so far. We'll get to them in a minute but I wanted to get the thoughts of Cerys and Tim in the studio. Which World cup star is your new favourite player?

[Cerys]

Ismail Saibari for one of the first goals that gave me World cup fever with that dink in Morocco's opener. And he's continued to impress me since.

[Tim]

Yeah, I was probably going to say him as well. No, there are a few. There are like obviously, I mean, Elijah just at New Zealand.

[Sam Lee]

Yeah.

[Tim]

Slash Motherwell. Not a player I've ever encountered before. It's great that these guys are just going to get moves. You know, you imagine Sibari is going to get a really good move. He's been at PSV for quite a few years. Manzambi at Switzerland obviously as well. Though he wasn't really that unknown. He had a good season in the Europa League last year. Not quite a start. But I have to mention from my boys, Uzbekistan, they've got Karimov at right wing back. He's only 18, he only made his debut in March and he plays for Serkon Turmes in the Uzbek Super League. Good team. But he looks great. He's like, he's really, really calm. Good on sort of one on ones. Very mature for his age. He's got a real sort of rocket shot on him. And this is one of the things that is so great about a World cup that an 18 year old kid from Uzbekistan gets this sort of spotlight and will now get a life changing move. I'm sure to come from that. But he's been one of the. He's been one of their best players so far. I've been really impressed with him.

[Adam Leventhal]

Nice one. You get your hipster badge for that one. Well done. Just to mark. Thebes agreed on Threads with Ismail Saibare. Thanks Thebes. And also a guy that we mentioned on the show not that long ago, Ali Begovic from Bosnia and Herzegovina, another teenager was picked by Hugh Crook. Now for your chance to feature on our next discussion of the day feature, Head over to Threads, follow the Athletic FC and join the conversation.

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[Sam Lee]

Life.

[Tim]

Here is Anderson.

[Adam Leventhal]

There'll be space to go for it. Elliot Anderson, so vital to forest in the midfield. Well, he's amongst the goals now. It's got them level for the second time in this game. So as we heard at the top of the show from David Orstein, Elliot Anderson is heading towards Manchester City. A deal has been agreed. Let's bring in our Manchester City correspondent, Sam Lee. Sam, great to see you. We'll come to your adornment behind you a little bit later on, but let's concentrate on the big deal. Why have City been so adamant that they wanted Anderson then?

[Sam Lee]

It all sounds pretty simple. I know we're supposed to give just searing insights and obviously we do and we try our best to. But he's a physical guy, which is useful in midfield. He gets on the ball a lot, he's English, he's proven in the Premier League and he's played in European competitions. So his body's used to play in midweek matches as well. Because to be fair, that could be a bit of an adjustment if you don't play those games and you come to a team when you've got to play every three or four days you can start getting injured. So in that sense he just ticks all those boxes. And for City they sound simple, but that's basically what they need. It's what they're looking for and when you throw in the fact that, yeah, he's homegrown, he's English, that's going to send the price up a lot, because if you ticked all the other boxes, it'd probably be, what, 70, 80 million. But when you've got an English player and you've obviously got a selling club, you think, well, this guy's our star man. We don't want to let him go for cheap. That's when it starts to become expensive. But, yeah, those pretty simple sounding factors come together to add up to this big, exciting deal.

[Adam Leventhal]

So, from what you've said, how does that then change the personnel and the dynamic in the Manchester City midfield?

[Sam Lee]

Well, you're losing Bernardo Silva, which is like basically losing the Guardiola blueprint on the pitch. Nobody understands better what Guardiola is trying to do than Bernardo Silva in terms of the players who were at the club last year. But then with Guardiola gone, it doesn't matter quite so much. Obviously, Enzo Maresca is going to come in, and part of that is because, you know, he understands Guardiola, his processes, and it's that style of football that suits how City play. But, you know, he had very physical midfield at Chelsea with Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez. And so it kind of suits the. The new manager, too, the way that City needed to rebuild the squad last year, because, remember the season they had before last, when they were just awful for three months and there was no legs in the team, that dynamism in midfield had just gone completely, that physicality was a. Was a factor. And if you look at the fact that Elliot Anderson had more touches in the Premier League last season than any other player at a team like Forest. And even for a midfielder now, it's kind of rare because center backs have so many touches. Then you think, oh, this is obviously a guy who wants to be on the ball all the time and you can see that when he plays. So, yeah, those kind of factors do suggest it might be a bit more of a physical approach in that City team without Bernardo. But obviously there's still a bit of a question mark about Rodri as well. And there's interest in Tonali still, so we'll see exactly how it looks at the end of the summer. But things are ticking along clearly.

[Adam Leventhal]

Yeah. Do you think it's likely that they could still bring in Tonali as well?

[Sam Lee]

I mean, that's what they would, you know, if it was down to intentions alone. And obviously transfers don't work like that. But City's plan is to get Both, and we don't know the full reasons for that. But Nico Gonzalez could go. Reinders, I think he may stay, I think, because Guardiola's left. I think Reinders felt that Guardiola didn't really believe in him. And obviously if Guardiola was staying, then for Reinders, it would make sense, especially if you've got offers to explore them. But maybe because Guardiola's left, that will change things. But Nico Gonzalez, yeah, he could go, Rodri could go, but I'm not sure what options he's got. So there's obviously a few question marks there. But then that's why it starts to make sense that they would be looking for somebody else as well. Because if you didn't know those things, you think, why are they going to spend another 100 million or so on Tonali as well as Anderson, and think what's going on? But if players are going, especially two, then that's why they're looking at that.

[Adam Leventhal]

Not to break our train of thought too much, but just to end. Sam, are you keeping up to date with your wall chart? That's behind you.

[Sam Lee]

Oh, my son does it. Excellent. So we might be a couple of results, but we've been recording the games overnight. I've got the USA game on, no spoilers. I've got the USA game on now because I'm catching up with it. We were at the first hydration break, so, yeah, sometimes we get a bit out of sync with the wall chart, but as soon as he remembers, he goes and does it. So, yeah, we're doing a good job.

[Adam Leventhal]

And a quick pan up and show me what's in your hands as well. Don't worry, viewers, there's the flags. There you go, you got your flags.

[Sam Lee]

Here's one. Mini football and the ball. Mini replica football. It is. World cup fever in this house.

[Adam Leventhal]

Brilliant. Thank you, Sam. You've also delivered goodness on a big, big transfer as well. Sam, thank you very much for your time. So, Tim, this is a record transfer for a British player, eclipsing both Jack Grealish and Declan Rice. Simple question. Is he worth it?

[Tim]

I mean, probably no human is. So I don't know how deep you want to get into that, but how

[Adam Leventhal]

deep do you want to go?

[Tim]

No, let's. Let's keep it surface.

[Adam Leventhal]

Let's keep it surface.

[Tim]

No, I don't think he's necessarily worth 15 million more than Rice, but. But look, this is City, you know, he's going to be an incredible addition, I think. Almost guarantee, I feel. Although there's obviously things up in the air with the rest of the makeup of their midfield. And Maresca coming in is going to sort of change everything at City. But yeah, there's obviously an English tax there. There's obviously a Premier League tax there. But he is an incredible player, I think. I think he'll. He'll become easily one of the best players in the country in the division next season if he isn't already. A quick word for Newcastle fans. He must be absolutely distraught at, you know, having to sell him two years ago for what, 35 million.

[David Ornstein]

Yeah.

[Tim]

Now he's worth 100 million more.

[Adam Leventhal]

Yeah.

[Tim]

That's like. That's just crazy. As if their summer couldn't go any worse. Sort of losing Gordon and Tonali. And anyway, a fantastic addition for City and really good money for Forest, who can now rebuild in other areas of their team where they really need to.

[Adam Leventhal]

And quick point, did it need to be 116? So Manchester City weren't signing someone for 115, which is a number that they are obviously associated with.

[Tim]

That's brilliant.

[Adam Leventhal]

Do you think that that's.

[Tim]

Did you think of that yourself or have you seen that on the Internet?

[Adam Leventhal]

Oh, well, I was just thinking of that myself.

[Tim]

That's so good.

[Adam Leventhal]

Do you think it's the case?

[Tim]

No.

[Adam Leventhal]

No. Okay, cool.

[Cerys]

Do you think that they would pay an extra million to avoid that? Is that your theory?

[Adam Leventhal]

I don't know. I. I don't know.

[Cerys]

I just think it would be very funny.

[Adam Leventhal]

Yeah. Well, maybe we'll find out in the fullness of time on the long read in terms of how this impacts the sort of other transfers that might now happen. I know Sam was saying, you know, Tonali might also go to Manchester City. How does this impact what Forest will now do with the money that they've got, do you think?

[Cerys]

Yeah. I mean, last year was very much the summer of the striker, wasn't it? And I think we've now got the summer of the central midfielder. So we've reported on the Athletic that Forest have identified Lucas Bergwell at Spurs as someone who might come in to replace Anderson. We've also reported that his preference is to leave Spurs. So I think that could be a move that we potentially see materialise then. We also know spurs are interested in Sandra Tonali as well. So Newcastle. That does help them out in the sense that they can potentially start playing spurs and City off against one another. There's questions over so many other players as well. You know, Sam's just touched there on. On Rodri's future. Enzo Fernandez's future at Chelsea obviously uncertain as well. We know that Manchester United need another holding midfielder. Liverpool ideally would probably strengthen there as well. We don't know where Matthias Fernandez is going to end up from West Ham United if he leaves there, so we're going to talk a lot more about midfielders. But I think this is actually as as gutting as as Tim has said. This is for Newcastle to see kind of the fee that that Forest have managed to generate for Anderson. I do think it plays into their hands the domino effect of this on the fee that they can potentially get for Tonali, so that's maybe the silver lining for them.

[Adam Leventhal]

Not that Newcastle fans will be particularly

[Cerys]

no, but I'm trying to lift their spirits.

[Adam Leventhal]

Very kind of you. Yeah, that's good. Tim, I just wanted to get your thoughts on the fact that this has happened in the midst of a World Cup. Obviously we knew that Elliot Anderson was likely to go at some point, but it sort of dropped in preparation for a key game for England. Are you surprised that Thomas Tuchel seems to be relatively relaxed about this?

[Tim]

It's not ideal, is it really? We don't know how much of the sort of negotiations have been done in the last few days or if it's just a case of club to club and agent to agent or how much Anderson has been involved. But I think in general it's good for him. For Gordon going to Barcelona, you know, to feel more, you know, big time, it's gonna, of course it's gonna sort of boost their confidence and make them feel great. But in terms of, yeah, distracting them in the World cup, not ideal, but I don't think it's gonna make a huge amount of difference.

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[Adam Leventhal]

So it is day 16 at the World Cup. It is time for our do you know quiz. Remember, say your name first when you're ready to buzz in. Okay, here we go. Do you know who made a record 16 saves in a single World cup match in 2014?

[Tim]

Yes, I think so.

[Adam Leventhal]

Oh, okay. Say your name then.

[Tim]

Tim Howard.

[Adam Leventhal]

Very good. Very good. That is the correct answer. Tim Howard made 16 saves for the

[Tim]

USA against no idea.

[Sam Lee]

Ah.

[Adam Leventhal]

I'll give you half a point if you can get it.

[Cerys]

I don't think half a point is going to do much for me as a part of the trivia in this

[Adam Leventhal]

tournament, it was against Belgium. So there you go. Well done, Tim. To both Tims. To Tims all around the world. If you got them, Homer's will help. Right, six more games today as we continue to head through the last round of group matches, which as we know Tim is not happy with. France and Norway already through in Group I in a battle for top spot. Mbappe against Haaland and all that, which will be great. Uruguay having a bit of a meltdown at the moment ahead of their game with Spain, but they are currently in second place on two points. Cape Verde on two points, Saudi Arabia on one and Belgium have work to do against New Zealand. So we shall see. And that is a big game for Scotland in particular, because if Belgium can get their win, then that will knock Scotland out of the running. On the topic of Group G, let's finish up with our star of soccer, and today it is Traktor SC goalkeeper Alireza Behrenvan. Now, if you're not particularly familiar with him, he is the only goalkeeper to save a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo in a World cup that was back in 2018 in Russia. And he has a remarkable story as well. And he's someone that you like in particular. Ceris.

[Cerys]

Yeah, I really enjoyed watching him in Iran's last game and since have learned more about him. You know, I think we all probably remember Jano Black's save on Cristiano Ronaldo. Berenvan did it first, obviously, in a World Cup. Still the only one. So he was born into a nomadic Kurdish tribe in the mountains. Began shepherding sheep when he was about 3. Started out as a striker and then converted to a keeper and ran away age 12 to try and go and forge his football career in Tehran, working a series of jobs like sort of cleaning in factories and everything along the way. And this, you know, he's ended up at a World Cup. It's incredible. He's made, I think, just over 80 caps for Iran, so he's a. A really kind of stable presence for them. Plays most of his club football in Iran over the course of his career. Had a few spells at, I think, Boavista and at Antwerp as well, but nothing that, you know, fans in Europe would particularly be familiar with because I think he spent most of them as backups. But, yeah, this is someone that has been there for a long time, but is kind of getting a little moment in the spotlight now. And his story's incredible and it's an exceptional story.

[Adam Leventhal]

And that's not all about him, is it?

[Cerys]

Yeah, he's also two time entrant in the Guinness Book of Records. So, one for the longest throw, which is just over 61 meters, playing for Iran against South Korea back in 2016. Second for the longest drop kick, which just over 78 meters, playing for Persepolis against Zobahan in 2019. So, yeah, that kind of goes to show his longevity as well, I guess. I know that's not super long ago in football terms, but incredible to have those two records to his name as well.

[Adam Leventhal]

And funnily enough, he's someone that I got to know, not personally, but just by watching him in action when I was with the Iran team in Turkey before they headed out to Mexico and then obviously playing games in the States. And I actually saw him get on the coach. He flicked me a peace sign, which is the sign that you want with two fingers. And then he got onto the coach and he started singing to the team, singing folk songs. He's a really sort of influential character within that, within that Iran team. And also subsequently I found out that when they actually had to make the transition from Iran to Turkey in March, when the war was in full flow because they had a 40 hour coach journey, it was pretty, pretty sort of perilous. He was actually sleeping. He's 6 foot 4, he's massive. Sleeping in the aisle of the coach whilst, whilst getting through all the, all the difficulties that they were getting. Those difficulties obviously continue for Iran. It's a story that I've obviously been keeping track of. There was more hold ups as they were trying to get into Seattle in through immigration and things like that. Medha Taraimi was one of the players that was held up for about half an hour. Constantly they've been complaining about treatment that they've been getting. They did get an extra day to prepare for this final game against Egypt. Tim, what's been your take on not the whole, the whole issue, but just how Iran have actually got through this and are still in contention to make the knockout phase for the first time?

[Tim]

Yeah, incredible really. And they play really well. In fact, I think they'll be a bit, they'll be a bit disappointed with their results so far. You know, I think they've had a couple of missed opportunities. Obviously they drew 2, 2 against New Zealand. They would have felt that they could have won that. And then, you know, Belgium been down to 10 men for quite most of the second half in that game. And like I know Belgium had more of the play and more shots, but Iran actually created the better chances in that game. They had that narrow offside from that brilliant free kick that was sort of passed through the wall. Weghorst style would have been an amazing goal that. Just offside. Yeah, it was such a shame. I mean, you know, they benefit from the fact hopefully from their point of view that Egypt are basically through. I know Egypt will want to go through as group winners, but they've got it. I think if you'd offered them this opportunity to beat Egypt or potentially just draw to get through in their third match, then they. Absolutely. With all the upheaval they've had to go through and the travel and everything, it's been unbelievable circumstances. I can't imagine there's a World cup nation or team that's had to put up with more than they have done. So to be in this position is great and hopefully I think we all want to see them get through.

[Adam Leventhal]

Well, Tim, thank you very much indeed for today. Keris, thank you to you as well, as well as Sam. Thank you David as well, who we heard from right at the top of the show. Remember, you can read about all the stories that we've been discussing on the Athletic. The one to look out for today is Jacob Whitehead on Guadalajara. I'll let you search it up and have a look at that. Everything on the app is free right now during the World cup, so do get stuck into it. And we won't be with you tomorrow because we are going to be having a show on Sunday after the final round of group games has concluded, and that includes England. So we will see you on Sunday morning. It's smart to always have a few financial goals and a really smart one. You can set earning cash back on

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