Pundit makes bold Elliot Anderson and Newcastle claim amid Nottingham Forest uncertainty
Darren Bent has offered his verdict on whether he thinks Elliot Anderson would get into Newcastle’s current midfield following his two man-of-the-match performances for England over the international break.
Boyhood Newcastle fan Elliot Anderson broke through into the Magpies’ first team in 2021, going on to make 55 first-team appearances before a £35million [Sky Sports] move to Nottingham Forest in July 2024.
He has massively impressed over the last 12 months since his move to the City Ground, making 37 Premier League appearances last term with two goals and six assists as Forest eventually finished in seventh place.
Nottingham Forest were fearful they’d need to sell Anderson this summer amid PSR concerns, but they have been able to keep hold of him for the campaign ahead, ironically after Anthony Elanga made a big-money move to Newcastle.
Anderson’s fine form has seen him rewarded with a maiden England call-up by Thomas Tuchel, and he repaid the German head-coach’s faith in his talents with two stellar performances against Andorra and Serbia, potentially leaving many Magpies fans rueing their club’s decision to let him leave.
Darren Bent says Elliot Anderson would not get into the Newcastle starting eleven right now
Newcastle have continued to impress in Anderson’s absence, with a midfield core of Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes helping Eddie Howe‘s side finish fifth in the Premier League last season.
Anderson has been wanted back by Newcastle fans since his exit, but football finance expert Stefan Borson previously told Football Insider that Newcastle had to sell Anderson due to PSR concerns last summer.
Host Andy Goldstein asked former England striker Bent live on air on talkSPORT on Wednesday (10 September 4:17) if he believes Anderson would make it into Howe’s midfield over his current first-choice three, amid his strong form, and the ex-Spurs man insisted that he would not due to the trio’s quality when playing together.
He said: “I still think that three that they’ve got up there is arguably one of the best [midfields] in the Premier League. Nah, he’s not getting in there, no.
“I think they all compliment each other really well, like, he might be a better footballer than Joelinton, but he’s not a better footballer than [Sandro] Tonali or Bruno [Guimaraes].
“But Joelinton has got a role that he plays really well in that team, strong, physical powerhouse, and the other two are just wonderful footballers.
“Elliot Anderson is very good, but I wouldn’t put him in that midfield, for me.”
Anderson will be in Thomas Tuchel’s thoughts for the World Cup after solid England showings
There are clearly still places up for grabs in Tuchel’s side, with Anderson potentially still a way down the actual pecking order when he has a full complement of midfielders to choose from.
International football is never that simple though, and injuries to Jude Bellingham and Adam Wharton have left the door open for the 22-year-old to stake his claim ahead of the World Cup next year.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 84 | 2 | 10 |
He set about doing just that against Andorra, but the real test of his credentials came away in Serbia on Tuesday (9 September), with Tuchel admitting after England’s 5-0 win in Belgrade that Anderson “deserved to play again and made another fantastic performance.”
The Forest man definitely has all the tools and the right skillset to be a mainstay in the Three Lions squad going forward, and he will be thankful that Newcastle sold him to the East Midlands outfit if he becomes a regular starter ahead of the tournament in the USA in 2026.