Manchester United are pushing to do a deal for Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.
Elliot Anderson is the most wanted midfielder in the Premier League, with Manchester United and Manchester City competing for his signature.
Anderson’s performances for Forest over the past two seasons have led to him becoming an England international regular.
A tricky choice awaits Anderson over his next move. But for the Forest midfielder, this is the easy part.
Elliot Anderson knee slide for Nottingham Forest.
Photo by Lee Parker – CameraSport via Getty Images
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Elliot Anderson’s setback
Elliot Anderson was cast aside by Newcastle to meet their PSR requirements in 2024. It was a disastrous move for the club.
Anderson came through Newcastle’s academy and had historic ties to the club, where his grandfather played and won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
“My dream was to play for Newcastle,” he told Sky Sports earlier this season.
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He did the hard work, proving himself on loan spells, establishing his career for England’s under-21s, and only injuries delayed his progress.
Newcastle’s finances led them to deduce that selling Anderson was their best path forward. They believed that Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali would limit his opportunities.
This move looks short-sighted now, with both players pushing for exits away from the club.
Anderson was able to use the setback as a springboard for his career, but admitted it was not easy.
“It was tough at the time but in football, as my dad says, you just have to deal with it.
“I just tried to approach it with the best mentality I could, come down here, show everyone what I can do and prove a point.”
Now Anderson is regarded as one of the league’s best midfielders.
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Anderson will have no issues leaving Forest
Elliot Anderson has already been given a tough lesson about the brutal nature of football.
He was traded like a commodity by a club that saw him as a figure on a balance sheet.
His links to Newcastle were ripped away in an instant.
Leaving Nottingham Forest might be difficult for him, but in comparison it will pale. Anderson will be taking a clear upwards step, wherever he chooses to go.
Anderson has the opportunity to choose his destiny, rather than have it chosen for him.
If he was still at Newcastle, then interest from Manchester United and Manchester City would pose him a genuine dilemma. Walking out on your boyhood club is a hard decision to make.
But thankfully Anderson no longer has to make this decision. It was made for him.
Now he can be free to choose his next club by whatever parameter he determines; money, fit, trophies, manager, etc – but the emotional weight of his boyhood club holding him back won’t be a factor.
For Anderson, this is the easy part. He has already dealt with the toughest blow.
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