Elliot Anderson’s rumoured move to Manchester United is off - and one of the club’s fiercest rivals has approached him instead.
The Nottingham Forest midfielder, 23, has been on every top team’s radar over the past 12 months, becoming a key part of England’s World Cup qualifying campaign in the process.
As the transfer rumour mill began to spin once again this month, Anderson was linked with a switch to Manchester United, with the Red Devils keen for midfield reinforcements. But the club’s hopes of getting a star of his caliber may have already been iced.
Manchester United are interested in Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson - but the midfielder wants a move to their rivals instead.placeholder image
Manchester United are interested in Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson - but the midfielder wants a move to their rivals instead. | Getty Images
According to TeamTalk, local rivals Manchester City have already made contact with both Anderson and Nottingham Forest over a potential deal.
Manager Pep Guardiola is thought to be a big fan of Anderson’s versatility, and has him earmarked as both a deep-lying playmaker and a box-to-box midfielder - the same role he had outlined for Kalvin Phillips when he joined from Leeds United in 2022.
The sports outlet claims that Anderson views the move as the ideal opportunity to advance his career, and stake a permanent claim to England’s starting XI ahead of this year’s World Cup. But the move wouldn’t be a cheap one; the midfielder has a contract with Forest that runs until 2029, and the club could ask for more than £80m to part ways with him.
It comes after Man City have already secured the signature of winger Antoine Semenyo, who joined the club from Bournemouth in a £65m deal. The Ghanaian attacker has made an immediate impression, bagging both a goal and an assist on his debut in the FA Cup last weekend.
As for Man United, their affections have turned back towards Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, having flirted with the idea of signing him last summer.
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