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Nottingham Forest just signed a 16-year-old Scottish midfielder named Boyd Fraser from Heart of Midlothian. In almost the same breath, the club sold midfielder Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for roughly £116 million.
The deal and why it matters beyond the pitch
Fraser’s contract runs until the summer of 2029, locking in a teenager for the better part of four years. The deal, reported around June 25, 2026, came after Nottingham Forest beat out a serious list of suitors: Celtic, Rangers, Tottenham, and Crystal Palace all wanted the young Scot.
The Anderson sale to Manchester City for £116 million proves the development thesis works. That’s a transfer fee that would rank among the largest in football history, and it came from a player Forest developed and showcased on the Premier League stage.
Scotland as the new talent pipeline
Fraser’s signing is part of a broader trend where English clubs are raiding Scottish football for its youngest and most promising players. When Celtic, Rangers, Tottenham, Crystal Palace, and Nottingham Forest are all circling the same 16-year-old, you’re not looking at a one-off. You’re looking at a market where English clubs have collectively decided that Scottish youth academies are undervalued.
Hearts, for their part, also signed Cormac Daly, a 19-year-old winger who was released by Nottingham Forest. So the pipeline flows both ways, though the economics are decidedly lopsided. One club gets a promising teenager for free; the other sells a developed player for £116 million.
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