**Manchester United have been handed a fresh transfer setback, with Manchester City now reported to be ahead in the race for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson.**
The 23-year-old has been tracked by several elite Premier League clubs after a standout season at the City Ground and his rise into the England picture. United’s midfield rebuild is already moving, with Ederson delayed until after Brazil’s World Cup involvement, but Anderson now appears to be drifting towards the blue side of Manchester.
According to a fresh transfer update from [ESPN’s Transfer Talk](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49124293/transfer-rumors-news-manchester-city-ahead-manchester-united-elliot-anderson-race), Anderson is looking more likely to join Manchester City than United this summer.
Anderson blow sharpens Manchester United midfield question
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That matters because United have been working through a crowded central-midfield market. Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba and Sandro Tonali have all been discussed around the Premier League’s biggest clubs, but Anderson’s profile is particularly awkward to lose because he offers Premier League intensity, ball-carrying and defensive bite in one package.
For Michael Carrick, the issue is not simply missing one target. It is the risk of City strengthening a position United also need to upgrade while Forest hold the leverage on fee and timing.
United still have routes elsewhere, but this update adds urgency. If Anderson is slipping away, the next midfield decision needs to be cleaner, quicker and far less vulnerable to a rival hijack.