Everton block £40m Forest bid for teenage midfielder Armstrong
Everton's ownership group has decided to keep 19-year-old Harrison Armstrong despite advanced talks with Nottingham Forest over a £40m transfer. The decision came after fan backlash and a board review, with chairman Dan Friedkin personally involved. Armstrong, who started Everton's first three league games this season, is seen as vital to the club's present and future.
Armstrong logged 87 minutes in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Bournemouth while Everton's leadership deliberated his fate behind the scenes. The teenager spent the first half of last season on loan at Preston North End, making 17 Championship appearances before Everton recalled him in January, after which he featured 13 times for the senior side, mostly off the bench. He has since started all three league matches this term following injuries to James Garner and Hayden Hackney.
Forest's pursuit stemmed from losing Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for £116m earlier this summer, leaving them short in midfield. Everton's financial constraints under the Premier League's squad cost ratio regulations had made a sale plausible, but the unanimous board decision, with chairman Dan Friedkin personally involved, prioritized Armstrong's status as the club's most promising academy graduate since Anthony Gordon.
This decision could signal how fan sentiment and long-term club identity may weigh against financial necessity in modern Premier League trading. Everton supporters, who chanted Armstrong's name during the match, demonstrated that supporter pressure can influence ownership decisions even amid regulatory cost constraints. The outcome may also affect Forest's midfield depth this season, while reinforcing that elite young homegrown players remain central to club projects despite lucrative offers.