Manchester United are willing to battle with Bayern Munich, amongst other prestigious European clubs, in order to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, with David Ornstein sharing the latest this weekend.
Which clubs are tracking Elliot Anderson?
It has been a sobering season for Forest, who sit 17th in the Premier League following 21 matches. Nuno Espirito Santo, who guided the Midlands side to a seventh-placed finish last season, departed early in the campaign. His replacement, Ange Postecoglou, lasted just 39 days ahead of the arrival of Sean Dyche, who has been tasked with ensuring that Forest remain in the league.
Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson celebrates after the match
Forest's league position belittles the calibre of players they have in their squad. One such example is Anderson, who has developed into one of the league's best midfielders since arriving at the City Ground from Newcastle United in 2024. It was under Nuno that Anderson was at his best and the Portuguese, who is now struggling at West Ham, heaped praise on the 23 year-old, as per Sky Sports.
"With Elliot, first of all, he is an amazing talent for such a young player. He is competitive and wants to improve. He knows he is good but wants to be better. That is the first step. We are delighted to have him."
An exceptional tackler and ball carrier, Anderson is unsurprisingly on the radar of many teams in Europe. As per David Ornstein of The Athletic, Manchester City, Chelsea and particularly Manchester United and Bayern Munich have all shown an interest in the midfielder.
Arsenal are the only elite club to have not shown an interest, says Ornstein.
Much has been said about Man United's central midfield options, or lack thereof. Manuel Ugarte has struggled for any sort of form since arriving at the club in 2024 and Casemiro, whilst brilliant, is aging and as a result, is naturally declining. Club captain Bruno Fernandes has often operated in central midfield and though he is a serviceable option, it is clear that the skipper is at his best when playing as a number 10.
There is uncertainty around Fernandes, who has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in recent months, which makes United's pursuit of a midfielder all the more necessary. The club have, since the summer, been touted with moving for a defensive-minded midfielder, with Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton, of Brighton and Crystal Palace respectively, being named as potential options.
Anderson is, evidently, another name on Man United's shortlist, though the club may face numerous obstacles in trying to secure a transfer.
'No January move' for Anderson
Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson in action
Speaking further about Anderson, Ornstein explained any big money move will have to wait until the summer.
"(There'll be) no January move, that goes without saying. It would be too high a price. I don't know how easy it would be from a PSR, financial fair play perspective. You also need squad space, if you're bringing in somebody like that.
"He's already earning in excess of £100,000 per week, so you're going to have to take him higher. Nottingham Forest have zero appetite to trade him right now. The summer is a different story, every player has their price. We're hearing figures, £80-£100 million, maybe even more."
Losing last season's Europa League final meant that Man United missed out entirely on continental football for the 2025/26 campaign. This, combined with a heavy summer spending spree to revamp the club's attack, may mean that the Red Devils would be priced out of a move for Anderson, regardless of the fact that Nottingham have no intention of selling him this winter.
Man Utd's most expensive signings of all time
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By costing at least £80 million and most likely, at least £90 million or more, Anderson would be a club-record signing for United, something they don't appear to be in a position to make. The club are also without a permanent boss, having sacked Ruben Amorim after the Portuguese made comments about being Man United's manager, rather than head coach, following a 1-1 draw away at Leeds United.
Darren Fletcher has stepped in on an interim basis as Man United search for a caretaker manager to see out the campaign, but this could hamper their efforts in the transfer market for as long as the appointment process takes. Though a winter move appears nigh-on impossible, the Red Devils could use the coming months to position themselves for a summer in which Anderson will be one of the most sought-after targets.