Both Manchester United and Manchester City have a top transfer target in their sights. Nottingham Forest and England star Elliot Anderson has caught their eyes, but he won’t come cheap.
According to David Ornstein, who was speaking with The Athletic, anyone looking to sign Anderson will need to break the Premier League record transfer fee – in simpler terms, they will need to pay in excess of £105 million to secure his services.
Ornstein wrote: “If they sell, Forest want to break the Premier League transfer record for a midfielder, and if they stay true to that, will both of those suitors be willing to pay it?
“Anderson also already earns in excess of £100,000 per week, so you’re going to need to offer him an extremely high salary.”
But why is Anderson such a coveted transfer target for big clubs this season? Let’s take a look at his stats from the current campaign and find out.
Elliot Anderson’s 2025/26 Premier League stats
Games Goals Assists Passes Tackles
E. Anderson 32 2 2 2,045 91
As you can see, despite being just 23 years of age, Anderson is a real midfield general. He sees plenty of the ball, always looking to make himself available – he also fulfils his defensive duties from the middle of the park.
Forest have had a deeply lacklustre season in the Premier League, but Anderson can’t be blamed for this. The Trees’ biggest issues have come from behind the scenes – they have had four permanent head coaches in 2025/26, many of whom have played wildly contrasting styles.
As such, none of them have had a chance to settle – in turn, this has created turmoil on the pitch for Forest and has limited Anderson’s effectiveness as a result.
Is Elliot Anderson more likely to join Man Utd or Man City?
On the face of it, one would assume that Anderson is more likely to join City, given their current stature within the game. However, United seem to be more keen on the idea of snapping him up.
He is thought to be United’s top transfer target at the moment – additionally, the Red Devils would benefit far more from his arrival. They will need to sign a quality central midfielder in the summer, especially with Casemiro preparing to leave the club at the end of the season.
City, meanwhile, are fairly packed in the middle of the park. With players such as Tijjani Reijnders, Nico Gonzalez and Rodri in their squad, Anderson risks being lost in the mix if he decides to make the jump to the Etihad Stadium.
However, with Rodri possibly leaving the club in the summer transfer window, this could open the way for Anderson to gain a major foothold in the Sky Blues’ starting XI. Since his major ACL injury in 2024, Rodri hasn’t looked the same player he once was – Anderson could be an upgrade on him at this point.
Whatever the case, it’s likely that Anderson will leave the City Ground in the summer – unless they can qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League.