Club are prepared to spend but reluctant to get drawn into competition that could inflate the price
Manchester United are unwilling to enter a bidding war with Manchester City for Elliot Anderson as they plan a midfield rebuild this summer.
United have been monitoring the 23-year-old for some time and view him as a key target ahead of the next transfer window. However, Nottingham Forest are demanding around £120m for the England international, a valuation United consider excessive.
The club are prepared to spend but are reluctant to get drawn into competition with City that could further inflate the price. United want at least one major midfield signing, and then ideally signing another through player sales. Two midfield signings would mean that they can bring in reinforcements in other areas, including a left winger and a centre-back.
However, Forest are unlikely to shift too much from a price they believe they can get for the midfielder they signed for £35m just two years ago. The valuation is influenced by Moises Caicedo’s £115m move to Chelsea in 2023 and the fact that Anderson has been touted as the major pick in England’s World Cup squad alongside Declan Rice.
United under the new Ineos regime have already shown instances of adjusting their recruitment strategy in response to competition from other clubs. They had been interested in signing Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth in January, but pulled out of the race after his representatives held talks with City.
Besides Anderson, possible deals for Carlos Baleba, Aurelien Tchouameni and Sandro Tonali have been mooted and they remain options for United.
