Manchester United have not given up hope of signing Elliot Anderson this summer despite Manchester City’s growing confidence of securing the England international, TEAMtalk can confirm.
The Nottingham Forest star remains one of the most coveted midfielders in English football and, as TEAMtalk has previously reported, Man City are currently leading the race for his signature.
Sources have confirmed that Anderson has already agreed terms in principle on a move to the Etihad Stadium, with Pep Guardiola’s side pushing to complete a deal before the World Cup gets underway.
However, the transfer is far from done. TEAMtalk understands that negotiations between Manchester City and Nottingham Forest remain ongoing, with a significant gap still separating the two clubs’ valuations.
Forest are standing firm in their belief that Anderson is worth in excess of £100million and have made no secret of their view that his value should surpass the £105million Arsenal paid for Declan Rice.
City, meanwhile, are prepared to break their own transfer record to land the 23-year-old, but sources indicate they remain almost £20million short of Forest’s current demands.
That situation has offered encouragement to Manchester United.
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Man Utd still have a chance for Elliot Anderson
Sources close to Old Trafford have told TEAMtalk that the club remain firmly interested in Anderson and have continued discussions regarding a potential move despite City’s advanced position.
United acknowledge that their neighbours currently hold the advantage and that Anderson’s agreement in principle with City represents a major hurdle.
Nevertheless, they insist the race is not over. TEAMtalk understands that conversations have taken place and United remain alert to any opportunity should negotiations between City and Forest fail to reach a conclusion.
The Red Devils view Anderson as an ideal fit for their midfield rebuild and believe he possesses the technical quality, athleticism and Premier League experience required to thrive at Old Trafford.
Importantly, United are planning major changes in the centre of the park this summer.
The departure of Casemiro has already created space within the squad, while the club are also prepared to sanction the sale of Manuel Ugarte should a suitable offer arrive.
That would leave significant room for new arrivals. United already have an agreement in place for Atalanta midfielder Ederson and continue to work on a prospective deal for West Ham United star Matheus Fernandes.
The club’s recruitment team are open to bringing in as many as three midfielders during the current window, underlining the scale of the rebuild underway.
Anderson remains one of the standout names on that shortlist.
While City continue to push hard and remain optimistic that a deal can be finalised before the World Cup, United have made it clear internally that they are not prepared to walk away just yet.
With Forest maintaining their lofty valuation and negotiations still ongoing, United believe there is still time for the transfer battle to take another twist.
The coming days are expected to be crucial, but for now the pursuit of Anderson remains very much alive at both sides of Manchester.
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