Manchester United Targets Elliot Anderson Amid City’s £100m Move
Manchester United have already landed one punch in the summer market. Now they are lining up a swing at their biggest rivals’ marquee midfield target.
Fresh from striking personal terms with Atalanta’s Ederson, United are preparing a late attempt to hijack Manchester City’s move for Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson, a deal insiders believe is closing in on the £100m mark.
Midfield rebuild gathers pace
Casemiro’s departure on a free – with Inter Miami poised as his likely destination – and Manuel Ugarte’s availability on the market have forced United into a full-scale midfield reset. The plan is bold: two, and possibly three, new central midfielders before the window shuts.
Ederson is the first piece. The Brazil international, capped three times, has agreed a five-year contract and turned down other interest to prioritise Old Trafford. United are now locked in talks with Atalanta over a package expected to land at around €45m (£38m).
That deal is seen as the foundation. The real statement, the one that would reverberate across Manchester, is Anderson.
Anderson: INEOS’ No 1, City’s deal “well advanced”
Within the new INEOS-led structure at United, Anderson has emerged as the preferred option for the heart of midfield, even ahead of Michael Carrick’s favoured choice, Sandro Tonali of Newcastle. Anderson, at 23, fits every box: Premier League proven, technically sharp, and with the engine to dominate games for a decade.
There is one major problem. Manchester City have moved first – and fast.
Anderson has already agreed personal terms with the League Cup and FA Cup winners and is said to be excited by the prospect of working under incoming manager Enzo Maresca. The looming exit of Pep Guardiola has not cooled his enthusiasm for the move.
Talks between City and Nottingham Forest have accelerated. On May 27, insider Fraser Fletcher revealed negotiations were rapidly advancing, with a deal expected before the end of the month. The sense around the deal is clear: City are in control.
United refuse to walk away
United, though, are not ready to surrender a player they rate as a potential cornerstone of their new era.
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has already reported that United have been “calling and calling” about Anderson, refusing to let the trail go cold. Now, according to the i, those calls are about to turn into something more concrete.
Reporter Pete Hall writes that United are preparing a “serious play” to disrupt City’s move, even as sources insist the champions remain in a strong position. “Insiders believe a [Man City] deal for Elliot Anderson is well advanced and Guardiola’s departure will not disrupt the transfer, even though Manchester United intend to make a serious play for the England international,” Hall reports.
The message from Old Trafford is simple: if City want Anderson, they will have to fight for him.
Race against the clock
Timing is everything now. With City’s negotiations already well down the track, United have only a narrow window to persuade Forest and, crucially, the player that their project is the better fit.
Should they fail to prise Anderson away, United will pivot quickly. INEOS have drawn up a deep shortlist, with Carlos Baleba, Aurelien Tchouameni, Tonali and Adam Wharton all under consideration.
Ederson is close. The wider rebuild is mapped out.
Whether United can rip up City’s script for Anderson may define how aggressive – and how successful – this new Old Trafford regime really intends to be.
