- Man Utd still in Elliot Anderson race
- Reds believe they can beat Man City
- Nottingham Forest want £100m
Manchester United believe they can pull off one of the summer’s biggest transfer coups by beating Manchester City to the signing of Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, according to The Guardian.
Despite City being widely considered favourites to land the 23-year-old England international, United remain genuinely optimistic. According to The Guardian, club executives are confident that Anderson can be persuaded to choose Old Trafford over the Etihad, and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is prepared to back that belief with serious financial commitment.
United have already agreed a deal worth around £35m with Atalanta for Ederson and the 26-year-old Brazilian midfielder is expected to earn approximately £70,000 a week at Old Trafford. Anderson’s salary at Forest is considerably higher at around £100,000 a week, and he can expect to receive a significant increase on that regardless of which Manchester club he joins.
Man Utd still in Anderson race
Ratcliffe, who has been cutting costs since arriving at Old Trafford, would nonetheless be prepared to meet Anderson’s wage demands should the former Newcastle United player decide to join United rather than City. Anderson’s contract runs until June 2029, but it is widely expected that he will depart this summer.
United are overhauling their midfield this summer and have already made Ederson their first midfield signing. Michael Carrick’s side are now targeting further reinforcements as they prepare for a return to Champions League football. Anderson sits firmly at the top of that list.
The race, though, remains firmly in City’s favour for now. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed that City are preparing a new official bid to submit to Forest, with the club confident of getting the deal done, having led the race since March.
City have already seen an initial offer worth roughly £80m rejected and are now preparing an improved package potentially worth in excess of £100m, which would surpass Jack Grealish’s £100m fee as the club’s record signing.
Forest in control
Forest are in a strong negotiating position given the length of Anderson’s contract, and there is no shortage of context for the fee being discussed. Midfielders like Moïses Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Declan Rice have all moved for over £100m in recent windows, and Forest have shown no willingness to blink first.
For United, the World Cup provides both a window of opportunity and a potential complication. Anderson is expected to feature prominently for England under Thomas Tuchel, meaning his value and his options could only grow further over the coming weeks. If United are going to act, the time to do so is now.
