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Man Utd left reeling as Man City become 'clear frontrunners' for Anderson transfer
Suraj Radia
- 19 Mar 2026 20:39 GMT
- 5 min read
News
Manchester City are the ‘clear frontrunners’ to sign Elliot Anderson this summer but Manchester United will not give up hope of beating their rivals to the Nottingham Forest star.
Both City and United are expected to invest heavily in their respective midfields this summer and Anderson has emerged as a top target for both sides after his impressive stint with Forest.
According to BBC Sport, United view Anderson internally as ‘the player the club should prioritise’ and the Red Devils accept they will need to pay a ‘minimum’ of £80 million (€92m) to sign the 23-year-old.
Current ETV
Elliot Anderson
M, DM (C)
N. Forest
Elliot Anderson
M, DM (C)
N. Forest
ETV Range
€42.9M - €52.4M
United are said to be ‘wary’ of getting into an auction over wages with City but they are optimistic that Anderson may pick them over Pep Guardiola’s side, having seen the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo reject moves elsewhere to move to Old Trafford last summer.
There is also a belief that, while the club see Champions League qualification as ‘crucial’, there is still an appeal to United where top players will still join the club, just like their signings last summer.
Michael Carrick’s future will also determine United’s summer plans and the ‘attraction’ of appointing a ‘proven elite coach’ should ‘not be underestimated’, although no decision has been made as of yet over the manager position.
The stances on Man Utd’s Anderson alternatives revealed
United are aiming to sign at least two central midfielders this summer knowing that Casemiro is set to depart when his contract expires in June, while offers will be invited for Manuel Ugarte.
The preference is to sign a player with Premier League experience even with the likelihood of a smaller pool and a higher cost for those players, with the likes of Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton and Sandro Tonali on United’s shortlist.
The BBC confirmed reports that United have made a tentative enquiry for Baleba in recent months, having failed in an approach for the Brighton star last summer.
However, Brighton could value Baleba as high as £100m (€116m) – a similar asking price to Tonali, whom Newcastle are adamant to avoid a transfer saga like the Alexander Isak situation which plagued them last summer.
Tonali is thought to be open to leaving St James’ Park and his agent has publicly suggested a move to a team like United is ‘the goal’, giving the Red Devils hope of securing a deal if they opted to move for the Italian.
Wharton is also admired by United but there is uncertainty over whether the Crystal Palace playmaker fits the club’s desired profile, with a view that the 22-year-old is best utilised with runners either side of him.
Outside of England, Atalanta’s Ederson is a player that United have considered but much will be determined by Ugarte’s future as well as the cost of Premier League options, ultimately paving the way for a busy summer for the Red Devils.
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