Nottingham Forest are pushing to sign 19-year-old Everton midfielder Harrison Armstrong in a deal worth around £40 million. But why are Forest prepared to spend so heavily on one of Everton’s brightest academy talents — and would selling him be a major mistake for the Toffees?
By Abiodun Adewale Adeniyi | Founder & Editor, Beyond the Final Whistle
August 29, 2026 | Premier League | Transfer News
Nottingham Forest have made an ambitious move for one of English football’s most highly rated young midfielders.
Forest are in talks with Everton over a deal worth around £40 million for Harrison Armstrong, the 19-year-old midfielder who has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting prospects to emerge from Everton’s academy.
The proposed deal could also include a future sell-on clause, potentially giving Everton additional financial benefit if Armstrong eventually moves elsewhere.
Forest’s interest comes after the club sold Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for £116m earlier this summer, leaving them searching for another young midfielder capable of developing into a major Premier League player.
For Everton, however, the decision is much more complicated.
Is £40m simply too much money to reject for a teenager?
Or would Everton be selling a player who could eventually become worth considerably more?
Who Is Harrison Armstrong?
Armstrong isn’t simply another academy prospect attracting attention because of potential.
He is already beginning to prove himself at senior level.
The Liverpool-born midfielder came through Everton’s academy after joining the club at a very young age and has gained valuable first-team experience through loan spells in the Championship.
Those spells included time with Derby County and Preston North End, where Armstrong was able to experience the physical demands of senior football before returning to Everton.
Now, David Moyes has started integrating him properly into the Everton first team.
Armstrong started Everton’s opening Premier League match of the season against Crystal Palace and produced an impressive performance as the Toffees won 2-0.
He also provided the assist for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s opening goal.
That performance only increased the excitement surrounding him.
And Nottingham Forest have clearly been paying attention.
Why Nottingham Forest Want Armstrong
The explanation begins with Elliot Anderson.
Forest sold Anderson to Manchester City for a staggering £116m this summer.
That created a major hole in their midfield — but it also gave Forest significant financial resources to find a replacement.
Instead of simply signing an established midfielder approaching his prime, Forest appear interested in repeating the model that worked so successfully with Anderson.
Buy young.
Develop the player.
Give him Premier League responsibility.
And potentially create another enormously valuable asset.
Armstrong fits that strategy perfectly.
He is only 19, already has senior experience and is regarded as having the potential to develop into a future England international.
Forest aren’t looking at Armstrong purely as a squad player.
They appear to see him as a midfielder who could become a major part of their future.
£40m for a 19-Year-Old Is a Huge Gamble
There is another side to this transfer.
£40 million is an enormous amount of money for a player with limited Premier League experience.
Armstrong’s potential is clear.
His ceiling could be extremely high.
But potential doesn’t guarantee development.
Young players rarely progress in a straight line, and Forest would be making a significant investment based partly on what they believe Armstrong could become rather than simply what he is today.
Yet the Anderson deal changes the calculation.
Forest have just received £116m for a midfielder they developed into a highly valuable Premier League player.
Spending part of that money on another young English midfielder with significant upside makes strategic sense.
It is expensive.
But it isn’t necessarily reckless.
Why Would Everton Even Consider Selling?
This is the question Everton supporters will understandably ask.
Armstrong represents exactly the type of player clubs usually want to build around.
He came through the academy.
He understands the club.
He is already contributing to the first team.
And at only 19, his best football should still be years away.
The Times reports that Everton’s owners, The Friedkin Group, are looking to generate revenue through player sales, with the club seeking greater financial flexibility as it continues reshaping the squad.
That makes a £40m proposal difficult to dismiss immediately.
For an academy graduate, such a sale can also have significant accounting value because homegrown players generally carry little or no remaining transfer cost on a club’s books.
But football decisions cannot be made purely on spreadsheets.
Everton must ask themselves another question:
How much could Harrison Armstrong eventually be worth?
Everton Could Regret This One
Selling Armstrong for £40m could look like excellent business today.
In three years, it could look completely different.
If Armstrong develops into a top Premier League midfielder at Forest, his valuation could rise considerably.
That is why a sell-on clause would be particularly important if Everton ultimately decide to sanction the transfer.
Forest have already demonstrated their ability to increase the value of talented midfielders.
Anderson is the obvious example.
If they believe Armstrong can follow a similar development path, Everton should be asking themselves why they cannot oversee that development themselves.
That is what makes this transfer so controversial.
Everton wouldn’t be selling a fringe player.
They would potentially be selling part of their future.
Armstrong’s Style Makes Him Particularly Attractive
Armstrong’s appeal goes beyond his age.
He possesses the attributes modern Premier League clubs increasingly demand from midfielders: energy, technical ability and the capacity to contribute in different phases of the game.
His Championship experience has also exposed him to a physical style of football at a young age.
That matters.
Some academy graduates arrive in senior football technically gifted but unprepared for the speed and physicality of the professional game.
Armstrong has already experienced those demands.
Forest would therefore be buying potential, but not completely untested potential.
David Moyes Faces a Difficult Situation
This transfer would also create an awkward situation for David Moyes.
Moyes has spoken about wanting greater quality in his Everton squad.
Selling one of his most promising young players just days before the transfer window closes would hardly make that job easier.
BBC reporting notes there is currently no indication that Everton have agreed to sell, and that allowing Armstrong to leave would likely provoke a strong reaction among supporters.
That distinction is important.
Forest want the player.
Everton are facing a decision.
But the transfer is not completed.
With the deadline approaching, however, the situation could develop quickly.
Forest Are Thinking Beyond Survival
There is also a bigger Nottingham Forest story here.
A £40m move for a 19-year-old isn’t the behaviour of a club simply trying to survive another Premier League season.
It suggests ambition.
Forest have increasingly attempted to build a squad capable of competing higher up the table rather than constantly worrying about relegation.
Investing heavily in young players can become an important part of that process.
Armstrong would potentially arrive with significant resale value while also strengthening Forest’s midfield immediately.
If Forest believe they have identified the next major English midfield talent, £40m might eventually look very different from how it looks today.
Final Verdict: £40m Creates a Huge Everton Decision
There is no easy answer for Everton.
£40 million for a 19-year-old academy graduate is serious money.
From a financial perspective, accepting such an offer could provide Everton with greater flexibility to strengthen several areas of their squad.
From a football perspective, however, selling Armstrong could be extremely difficult to justify.
He represents youth.
He represents the academy.
And most importantly, he represents potential.
Nottingham Forest clearly see that potential too.
Their willingness to commit around £40m demonstrates how highly they rate him.
Everton must now decide whether the immediate financial benefit is worth sacrificing a player who could become a central part of their midfield for years.
Forest, meanwhile, appear ready to make another major investment in young talent following Anderson’s £116m departure.
This could become one of the most fascinating deals of the final days of the transfer window.
Because if Harrison Armstrong becomes the player many believe he can become, the question won’t simply be whether Forest paid too much.
It could eventually become:
Why did Everton let him go?
What Do You Think?
Should Everton accept £40 million for Harrison Armstrong, or should David Moyes insist that the teenager is not for sale?
And could Armstrong become Nottingham Forest’s next Elliot Anderson?
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.
