‘Everton’s Steven Gerrard’ Harrison Armstrong delivered unique transfer quirk when seeing Toffees fans stop £40m Nottingham Forest move

Those at the City Ground were in the market for a suitable successor to Elliot Anderson, having offloaded the England international to Manchester City in a £116 million ($153m) sale. With money to spend, the Reds tabled a £40m ($53m) offer for Armstrong.

Everton were willing to do business, with the Merseyside outfit aware of the need to raise funds that could be reinvested elsewhere. Talks were entered into and a home-grown star was poised and ready to pack his bags for Trentside.

News of that potential transfer broke ahead of the Toffees’ clash with Bournemouth. Loyal supporters made it clear throughout said Premier League contest that they were vehemently against the departure of a hot prospect that is expected to follow Anderson into the senior England set-up at some stage.

Everton’s board got the message, loud and clear, with Forest being informed that the proposed deal was off. It is rare for fans to have such influence on club business, with it difficult to recall a similar situation ever playing out in the top tier of English football.

Asked if he has seen anything like the Armstrong saga, ex-Toffees defender Stubbs - who was speaking courtesy of Gambler Media - told GOAL: “I personally haven't. I don't think many people would have seen it.

“But he is, or he's got the potential to be a really special player. And I think at this moment in time, I think it's one where, I think everybody around the club are thrilled to have him. But they're probably downplaying the hype to try and keep the pressure off him. Because he is going to get a lot of plaudits. He's going to be getting people speaking about him in glowing terms. And he's got to manage that. And I think the club will be very good at helping him do that.

“But for a young player, especially in midfield, he's a very, very exciting talent. He's a very, very exciting young player. And it's going to be interesting to see how he blossoms and fulfils his potential.

After witnessing protests in the stands during a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, vastly-experienced head coach David Moyes said of the collective desire to keep Finch Farm graduate Armstrong in his current surroundings: “I think you always have to consider supporters; supporters aren't always wrong.

“But then there are also times where I've had people at clubs who are really powerful and make difficult decisions. I'd bring into that Bryan Gray, who was at Preston North End, and Sir Philip Carter, who was at Everton when I first came in. Not all decisions are popular, and sometimes they have to do it for different reasons.

“Managers have to make decisions on players sometimes and they feel like huge decisions. But there are sometimes bigger decisions to be made and the club will, I'm sure, make what they think is the right one. If I'd say something to them (the fans), I'd say their manager's an Evertonian.”

Armstrong signed his latest Everton contract in January 2025, with those terms taking him through to the summer of 2028. There will be just 12 months of that agreement left to run when the current campaign comes to a close.

That may put the Toffees in another tricky predicament, as the likes of Forest will be keeping a close eye on proceedings. An extended deal will likely be discussed, but exit talk could also surface again as the talented teenager sees his stock continue to rise.