Manchester United haven’t only missed out on Elliot Anderson, but they are also paying the price for their neighbours’ extravagant spending.
Long before the transfer market opened, the Red Devils had identified the Nottingham Forest star as their priority target for the summer of 2026.
While the England international remains on Forest’s books, Man Utd’s chances of recruiting him had long faded. Manchester City have positioned themselves as the ultimate favourites to sign the 23-year-old, and top sources, including David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano, have already confirmed an £116 million agreement between the two clubs, thus setting a new British record.
How Elliot Anderson is affecting Man Utd’s transfer campaign
If missing out on their top target wasn’t a big enough blow, United now find themselves forced to sign three new midfielders (due to Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte’s severe injury) in a massively inflated market.
INEOS have at least secured their first signing in the shape of Ederson, who will complete a £39 million transfer from Atalanta after the World Cup, but their next signing is likely to cost a significantly higher transfer fee.
As The Sun journalist Samuel Luckhurst reports, Anderson’s imminent transfer to Man City has already sparked a 20% increase in market valuations, at least in the Premier League.
When Man Utd realised they could not compete with Man City for the Englishman, they turned to Mateus Fernandes, but West Ham’s asking price suddenly soared to £85 million.
MUFC weren’t willing to meet this figure, but Tottenham were happy to oblige. Therefore, the 21-year-old Portuguese is on the verge of moving to North London.
United’s next target could be Alex Scott, but the latest market developments have also encouraged Bournemouth to request £80 million for the 22-year-old.
Man Utd must seek solutions abroad
Most fans and observers would agree that the figures mentioned above are considered excessive and do not reflect the players’ limited experience at the big stage.
But luckily for Man Utd, they should be able to find more cost-efficient alternatives on the continent, and arguably better players.
For instance, Aurelien Tchouameni (26) might just be the perfect profile to replace Casemiro, considering his attributes, age, and top-level experience.
The Frenchman could soon become available, as Real Madrid are considering selling him, especially following his unsavoury training-ground bust-up with Federico Valverde. His reported asking price could be around £60 million.
Moreover, Man Utd are always attentive to the Bundesliga market, chiefly due to their German Head of Recruitment, Christopher Vivell. While Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha might not cost any less than United’s Premier League targets, many would argue he’s a more proven player.
Stuttgart’s deep-lying playmaker Angelo Stiller represents a more affordable profile.
Michel is a football journalist based in Beirut who has been passionately following Man United for over 20 years. He is a Law graduate and a member of the Beirut Bar Association. In addition to writing for Utd Report, he is also the Head Writer for The Laziali has been a Featured Writer on other websites including Juve FC, and The Cult of Calcio, and Stretty News.
View all posts
Recommended for you