Manchester United Eye Anderson Move After City's £80m Bid — Man City Transfer News
Manchester United remain intent on signing Elliot Anderson, and man city transfer news has shifted after Nottingham Forest rejected Manchester City's £80m bid for the midfielder. United executives believe they can beat City to the 21-year-old, who Forest value at about £100m. That leaves two clubs chasing the same player while Forest hold the stronger hand for now.
Anderson Valuation Rises at Forest
Forest's asking price is the first hard number in the battle. Anderson is under contract until June 2029, and his wage at Forest is about £100,000 a week, so any buyer is likely dealing with a major salary move as well as a transfer fee. He can expect a 50% increase in salary whichever Manchester club wins the race.
The midfielder is also expected to start England's opening World Cup match against Croatia on 17 June. That adds another layer to the chase, because the same player being tracked in the transfer market is due to play a leading role on the international stage days from now.
United's Midfield Plan
United's interest in Anderson sits inside a wider midfield rebuild. The club has already agreed a €40.5m deal with Atalanta for Éderson, who is expected to be paid approximately £70,000 a week at Old Trafford, and Jason Wilcox is also monitoring Mateus Fernandes as another option.
Fernandes would bring a different price point. West Ham are believed to want in the region of £80m for him, while United are also interested in Carlos Baleba, although Brighton believe he will remain on the south coast. That gives United several routes through the same problem, with Casemiro expected to join Inter Miami and leave another gap to fill.
City, United and the Wage Race
City are still considered the favourites to sign Anderson, which is the complication inside United's optimism. Sir Jim Ratcliffe would be prepared to meet Anderson's wage demands if he joins United, and that is the clearest sign yet that Old Trafford is willing to push hard enough to change the picture.
Inter Miami's pursuit of Casemiro adds a separate pressure point to United's midfield planning, but Anderson is the more expensive prize and the more direct fight. If Forest stand firm near their £100m valuation, the next move will likely come from the clubs willing to match both the fee and the salary step-up.
