Everton have dramatically called off Harrison Armstrong’s proposed move to Nottingham Forest after supporters reacted furiously to the prospect of losing one of the club’s brightest academy talents. Forest were prepared to pay around £40 million — so why did Everton suddenly change their mind?
By Abiodun Adewale Adeniyi | Founder & Editor, Beyond the Final Whistle
August 30, 2026 | Premier League | Transfer News
Harrison Armstrong is staying at Everton.
In one of the most dramatic transfer U-turns of the closing days of the summer window, Everton have decided not to sell their highly rated 19-year-old midfielder to Nottingham Forest.
Forest had made an offer worth around £40 million plus a potential future sell-on clause for the England youth international.
The proposed transfer had reached an advanced stage.
But after Everton supporters made their opposition unmistakably clear during Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Bournemouth, the club reconsidered.
According to BBC Sport’s report on Everton cancelling the Armstrong transfer, Everton’s board ultimately made a unanimous decision that Armstrong would remain at the club.
The decision ends — at least for this transfer window — a remarkable saga involving money, supporters, homegrown talent and Everton’s ambitions for the future.
How Close Was Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest?
Very close.
This wasn’t simply Forest expressing interest or making an enquiry.
The Guardian reports that Everton had accepted Forest’s offer in writing and given Armstrong permission to travel to Nottingham to complete the move.
Then everything changed.
Everton’s ownership reconsidered the decision following the reaction from supporters and informed Forest on Sunday morning that the transfer would no longer proceed.
The Athletic reports talks had centred around approximately £40m plus a future sale clause and had reached an advanced stage before Everton’s owners decided against selling.
That means Armstrong came remarkably close to leaving the club where he has spent almost his entire footballing life.
Everton Fans Changed the Conversation
The supporters’ reaction became impossible for Everton to ignore.
Armstrong started Saturday’s Premier League match against Bournemouth while uncertainty surrounded his future.
Throughout the game, Everton supporters made their feelings clear.
They repeatedly sang Armstrong’s name and protested against the prospect of the academy graduate being sold.
BBC Sport reports supporters even warned there would be a “riot” if Armstrong was sold.
By Sunday morning, Everton’s position had changed.
That makes this an unusual transfer story.
Supporters regularly protest against transfers.
They don’t always change them.
This time, however, the backlash appears to have been an important factor in Everton reconsidering the deal.
Why Everton Fans Were So Angry
To understand the reaction, you have to understand what Armstrong represents.
He isn’t simply another player Everton could sell for £40m.
He’s an academy graduate.
Armstrong joined Everton at just five years old and developed through the club’s youth system before progressing into the senior team.
At 19, he is now beginning to establish himself as a genuine Premier League midfielder.
The Athletic describes Armstrong as perhaps Everton’s most talented academy graduate since Anthony Gordon and notes that he has adapted impressively to the physical and technical demands of Premier League football.
Selling him just as he was beginning to establish himself naturally created a difficult question for supporters:
What is the point of developing elite young players if they are sold as soon as their value rises?
Why Nottingham Forest Were Willing to Pay £40m
Forest’s interest also tells us something important about Armstrong’s reputation.
Clubs don’t casually offer approximately £40m for 19-year-olds.
Forest clearly believe Armstrong has the potential to become a major Premier League midfielder.
Their strategy makes even more sense following Elliot Anderson’s £116m move to Manchester City earlier this summer.
Forest needed midfield reinforcement and appeared to see Armstrong as a player capable of following a similar development path.
The Athletic reports that Forest viewed Armstrong as potentially developing into the next Elliot Anderson.
From Forest’s perspective, therefore, £40m wasn’t necessarily about Armstrong’s value today.
It was about what he could potentially be worth in three or four years.
£40m Was Still Difficult for Everton to Reject
There is another side to the argument.
£40 million is an enormous amount of money for a 19-year-old with limited Premier League experience.
Everton’s hierarchy had to consider it.
And because Armstrong came through the academy, selling him could have provided significant financial benefits from an accounting perspective.
That partly explains why negotiations became so advanced.
Everton were considering different ways of generating funds to strengthen David Moyes’s squad before the transfer window closes.
But the club ultimately decided Armstrong’s value to their present and future outweighed the financial benefit of selling him now.
That may prove to be an extremely important decision.
David Moyes Wanted Armstrong to Stay
David Moyes’s comments after the Bournemouth match were also revealing.
The Everton manager confirmed an offer had arrived but made clear that he did not want to lose important players.
Moyes said Everton were already short of options and questioned whether the club could afford to weaken the squad further.
He also acknowledged that supporters deserved to be considered when major decisions were being made.
That put Everton’s hierarchy in an uncomfortable position.
Their manager wanted greater squad strength.
Supporters wanted Armstrong retained.
Yet the club was considering selling one of its most promising young players.
Eventually, the football argument won.
Armstrong Is Becoming Important Right Now
Another reason the proposed sale caused such controversy is that Armstrong isn’t merely a prospect for 2028 or 2029.
He’s already playing.
Armstrong started Everton’s opening Premier League matches this season and has shown impressive composure despite his age.
Against Bournemouth, he was again trusted from the beginning and played most of the match while negotiations surrounding his future continued.
The Athletic reports Armstrong started Everton’s first three matches of the campaign after injuries created opportunities in midfield.
That’s significant.
Moyes isn’t simply keeping Armstrong around because he might become useful someday.
He’s already useful.
Could Everton Eventually Get More Than £40m?
This may ultimately prove to be the biggest question.
Forest were willing to invest around £40m because they believe Armstrong’s value could increase significantly.
Everton clearly believe the same thing.
If Armstrong becomes an established Premier League midfielder and eventually breaks into the England senior setup, his value could rise considerably.
That doesn’t mean Everton will definitely receive more than £40m in the future.
Football development is unpredictable.
But selling now would have meant giving Forest the opportunity to benefit from Armstrong’s next stage of development.
Everton have instead decided to take that opportunity themselves.
This Could Be a Defining Decision for Everton
Keeping Armstrong sends a message.
Everton have spent years dealing with financial difficulties, squad rebuilding and uncertainty.
Their supporters want evidence that the club is building something sustainable.
Academy players can become central to that.
A homegrown midfielder progressing into the first team gives supporters someone with a genuine connection to the club.
And if Everton want to become more competitive rather than constantly rebuilding, keeping their best young talent is an important place to start.
Moyes effectively made that argument after the Bournemouth match.
Everton need quality.
Selling Armstrong would have removed it.
What Happens to Nottingham Forest Now?
Forest must move quickly.
The transfer deadline is approaching and their attempt to sign Armstrong has collapsed at an advanced stage.
They still need to strengthen their midfield following Anderson’s departure.
The question is whether they pursue another young midfielder with a similar profile or attempt to convince Everton to reconsider with an even larger offer.
For now, however, Everton’s position appears clear.
Armstrong is staying.
BBC Sport reports the board’s decision was unanimous.
Unless something extraordinary changes before the window closes, Forest will have to look elsewhere.
Final Verdict: Everton Made the Right Decision
There was a legitimate financial argument for accepting £40m.
Armstrong is only 19.
There are no guarantees about how good he will eventually become.
And Everton could have reinvested the money elsewhere.
But sometimes a football club has to look beyond immediate transfer income.
Armstrong represents exactly the kind of player Everton should want to develop.
He knows the club.
He came through the academy.
He has already earned Moyes’s trust.
And another Premier League club was prepared to invest approximately £40m because it believes his ceiling is exceptionally high.
That should tell Everton something.
Instead of selling Armstrong and potentially watching him become an elite midfielder elsewhere, Everton now have the opportunity to develop him themselves.
Supporters made their feelings unmistakably clear.
Moyes wanted to retain his best players.
And eventually Everton’s ownership reached the same conclusion.
Harrison Armstrong is staying at Everton.
Now the responsibility shifts to the player.
If he fulfils his enormous potential, Everton’s dramatic £40m U-turn could eventually be remembered as one of the most important decisions the club made this summer.
What Do You Think?
Did Everton make the right decision by rejecting Nottingham Forest’s £40 million move for Harrison Armstrong?
Or should the club have taken the money and reinvested it?
And just how good could Armstrong become?
Share your opinion in the comments below.
By Abiodun Adewale Adeniyi, Founder & Editor of Beyond the Final Whistle. I am passionate about delivering well-researched football analysis, transfer insights, tactical breakdowns and honest opinions that go beyond the final score. My goal is to help football fans better understand the game while creating meaningful conversations around the biggest stories in football.
