Anderson's continued excellence in the 2025/26 season remains one of Forest's biggest success stories of the past 18 months. The 23-year-old midfielder is now a full England international (5 caps, 2 goals) and has again been one of the standout performers in the first half of the current campaign.

Manchester United are leading the pursuit, with Manchester City, Chelsea and his former club Newcastle United all tracking him closely. Recent reports suggest Forest would demand a British-record fee, likely 120-140 million pounds, to even consider a sale.

Dyche, however, made it clear that any decision rests with the ownership. "It is nothing to do with me, it is the powers that be," he said when asked about potential January bids. "They run the club and the financial side. I am sure they will ask my opinion if they need to, not just about him but about all the players here."

The Forest boss is determined to keep the speculation from affecting the player. "He is a good player with everything in front of him," Dyche said. "Less is more for him at the moment. He is naturally going about his business the right way and is learning the game as he goes. You have got to be careful not to over-coach someone."

Dyche also revealed his fondness for Anderson's personality: "He has got a bit of an edge in training when I quiz him about moaning all the time. I have a laugh with him about that. He is a very good player and a good person as well. I like that mixture."

Forest expect concrete approaches in January or next summer, but the club's position is rock-solid: Anderson is considered effectively unsellable unless an obscene offer arrives. At the same time, Forest are already actively planning additions, with Dyche confirming recruitment work is well underway for the winter window.

"The club have shown in recent years that they are willing to invest when they need to," he said. "It is a constant thing, always looking at players' availability, the shifting sands in football, agents doing their business and opportunities coming up."

He continued: "Every manager you speak to is always wondering what could be done. Sometimes you sit tight because the market says you cannot do anything. But this club have shown they are open to the market in different ways. Whether signing or selling players, they will do it when they need to."

Anderson remains absolutely central to Sean Dyche's project at Nottingham Forest, and any club wanting the England international will have to smash the British transfer record to even open negotiations.

Mohamed Salah clinches 2024/25 Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award