TRANSFER RUMOURS: Man Utd, Man City in Anderson battle as Arteta confirms signing

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 28 Feb 2026 10:47 GMT
• 5 min read

News

There’s a huge battle developing for Elliot Anderson, while Arsenal are closing in on their first summer signing, plus updates on England World Cup hopefuls Cole Palmer, Curtis Jones and Tino Livramento.

Man Utd vs Man City for Elliot Anderson

Manchester United and Manchester City are set for a ‘bidding war’ over Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson this summer, according to a report from The Mirror.

The 23-year-old has been a key figure for Forest since making the move to the City Ground from Newcastle, and it appears likely that he will join one of the Premier League’s traditional big guns in the summer.

Both Manchester clubs are said to be preparing bids worth £75 million (€85m).

ANALYSIS: Man Utd’s hopes of landing Anderson rely on their ability to qualify for the Champions League next season. City can offer the England man better terms, so the Old Trafford side will only be able to compete in a transfer battle with elite-level football on offer.

Current ETV

Elliot Anderson

M, DM (C)

N. Forest

Elliot Anderson

M, DM (C)

N. Forest

€49.9M

ETV Range

€44.9M - €54.9M

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Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal’s Hincapie plan

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that his club’s intention is to complete the signing of loan defender Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.

Speaking to the media, he said: “We have already discussed the possible outcomes that we have after that period. But so far, we are very, very happy with him.

“He's been extremely dominant in all the defensive actions. He understands what we want in the attacking part as well much better, all the set-pieces, all the aspects that are relative to the game model that we have.

“He's very much liked amongst the players, you can see that the way they interact and react with him. I'm very pleased that he's showing that level.”

ANALYSIS: Sources close to Arsenal have confirmed to FootballTransfers that Arsenal’s intention is indeed to sign Hincapie. The only hurdle to clear relates to agreeing on personal terms with the 24-year-old Ecuador international star.

Current ETV

Piero Hincapié

D (CL)

Arsenal

Piero Hincapié

D (CL)

Arsenal

€67.2M

ETV Range

€60.5M - €73.9M

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Inter eye double Liverpool swoop

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones remains at the heart of Inter Milan’s plans to rejuvenate their team with some younger talent, according to Corriere dello Sport.

The 25-year-old has 18 months to run on his deal at Anfield, and having failed to establish himself as a first-team starter under Arne Slot.

Inter have looked at signing him before and they will also target a loan move for Giovanni Leoni, whose first season at Anfield has been obliterated by serious injury.

ANALYSIS: It’s stick or twist time for Curtis Jones in his career: does he remain on the periphery at Liverpool to play for his boyhood club or does he see what he might achieve elsewhere? With an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €49m, his sale could generate the Reds a huge fee.

Tino Livramento’s Newcastle future in question

There are renewed doubts over the future of Tino Livramento at Newcastle, with Manchester City studying a possible move for the full-back, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Livramento is refusing to extend his contract at St James’ Park and is said to be willing to hold talks with ‘top clubs’ come the summer.

Newcastle do have some limited breathing space. The 23-year-old still has little over two years left to run on his contract with the club.

ANALYSIS: Rumours linking Livramento with a move have been bubbling for several weeks. FootballTransfers exclusively revealed at the beginning of January that Arsenal are tracking the three-time capped England star, with the Gunners hopeful that Arteta sharing an agency with the player might give them an edge.

Current ETV

Tino Livramento

D (RL)

Newcastle

Tino Livramento

D (RL)

Newcastle

€54.4M

ETV Range

€48.9M - €59.8M

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Transfer Rumour Round-up

• Aston Villa are leading the race to sign James Trafford from Manchester City. (TeamTalk)
• Man Utd interim manager Michael Carrick has suggested that Harry Maguire will be offered a new deal. (The Guardian)
• Chelsea are confident that they will not need to sell Cole Palmer, despite fears over the club’s finances. (Evening Standard)
• Barcelona remain optimistic they will be able to reach a permanent agreement with Man Utd over the sale of Marcus Rashford. (Fabrizio Romano)
• Liverpool are ready to reject Juventus’ approach for goalkeeper Alisson. (Football Insider)
• Arsenal’s prospects of signing Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid have been boosted as Barcelona sporting director Deco says no talks have been held with the player. (Daily Mirror)