At a Glance
- Manchester United are keen on Elliot Anderson
- Manchester City lead race to sign Nottingham Forest star
- The Red Devils need to call it off
Not only because of the World Cup, but the summer of 2026 is also shaping up to be an important one for English midfielders in the Premier League. One name on the lips of Manchester United fans this season has been Elliot Anderson.
According to Sami Mokbel of BBC Sport, United are still eyeing Nottingham Forest’s Elliott Anderson. However, he states: “[Manchester] City are the clear frontrunners to land Anderson at the end of the season.”
It would not be the first time in recent history that United lost out to City in the transfer market. Antoine Semenyo opted to join Pep Guardiola’s side in January, despite holding talks with the Red Devils.
Why United like Anderson
Anderson has featured heavily for Forest in their fight for relegation this season. He has played 40 times, scoring 2 goals and providing 3 assists, primarily in a defensive midfield role. The former Newcastle midfielder is also expected to be in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad this summer.
City’s early exit from the Champions League and struggle to catch Arsenal in the Premier League title race will only incentivise them to bolster their midfield. It has lacked an engine-like midfielder running the show since Rodri suffered an ACL injury in 2024.
Mokbel also added: “While United would be wary of getting involved in an auction over wages with their city rivals, they are prepared to make a substantial effort to sign Anderson.”
In the unlikely event that Elliott signs for United, he is expected to cost the club around £80m. Mokbel states that Bayern Munich are another European club that United would be expected to battle for the signing.
Time to look elsewhere
For United, Anderson embodies the INEOS model of a young English player who is technically sound and a face of the club’s present and future. However, there are many more realistic players United can target without chasing a false lead and wasting valuable transfer strategy time.
This is particularly poignant with the impending departure of key man Casemiro to look forward to. United’s focus must shift immediately to a specialist number 6 instead.
The club enquired about Brighton’s Carlos Baleba last summer but were shut down. They are reportedly not put off by his drop in form this season.
Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is another name of interest. The departure of Oliver Glasner could signal the end of his spell with The Eagles, especially with Glazer’s name linked to the permanent United job.
Either way, both players possess the Premier League experience, youth, courage, discipline and ball-retention skills required to sit at the base of Carrick’s midfield alongside Kobbie Mainoo. Replacing Casemiro is a mammoth task that could require two players to replicate his influence.
Relegation-bound Wolves could be set to lose some of their best players, including midfielder Joao Gomes. United have been linked with the 25-year-old, who has helped Rob Edwards’ side turn their form around.
This is the type of budget signing that United could look to. Putting all their eggs in a losing battle against Manchester City for Anderson is what previous hierarchies would have done.
