A three-way battle likely to emerge for Nottingham Forest and England’s burgeoning midfielder in 2026
Manchester United are set to meet serious competition in their pursuit of Elliot Anderson, after an unlikely rival joined the race for the England midfielder’s signature next summer.
Anderson has enjoyed a standout season at the City Ground and his form has not gone unnoticed. One club who have made an extensive assessment of the England international is Manchester City, according to Sky Sports.
Their recruitment staff have reportedly watched him more than 10 times since the start of the season. Pep Guardiola is understood to be a strong admirer.
Nottingham Forest are braced for interest but have made their position clear. Anderson is under contract until 2029, is 23, and is valued at £100m. There is no immediate pressure or even interest to sell, with Forest having only just signed him in July 2024.
United see Anderson as a midfielder capable of fitting into their planned midfield rebuild. Next summer, the club are expected to go all out to boost what has been a problem area for years, the same way they rebuilt their attack for over £200m in the summer of this year.
City’s involvement, however, will only likely complicate things. According to reports, Newcastle United, where Anderson came through the academy, are also interested in re-signing the player they sold for £15m due to PSR pressure last year.
There is one more matter that could make signing Anderson even harder for any of the interested sides. The player’s growing standing at international level is only increasing his value. England head coach Thomas Tuchel recently stressed his importance after handing him regular senior minutes during the World Cup qualifiers, ahead of the likes of even Jude Bellingham, whom Real Madrid bought for an initial £88m but rising potentially to £115m.
“Anderson is a key player for us at the moment. He is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League – that’s why he is with us and starting for us,” said Tuchel. “He deserves it because he has been nothing but impressive.
“He still has a long career ahead of him. He is an elite player with the right attitude and a lot of talent.”
If Anderson goes to the World Cup with England, which he almost certainly will, and has an outstanding tournament, which again is highly probable, Forest’s £100m stance is unlikely to soften.
United may ultimately be willing to pay that, following the examples of Chelsea and Arsenal with Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice, who are both now the centrepieces in their respective sides, but Old Trafford may find that one of their biggest obstacles to landing the midfielder is their neighbours across Manchester.
