Man City Lead Manchester United in Race for Elliot Anderson

Manchester City are now leading the race to sign Elliot Anderson, with the Nottingham Forest midfielder leaning towards a move to the Etihad rather than joining Manchester United. Forest expect interest to intensify this summer, but no deal has been agreed and City and Forest remain a long way apart on valuation.

Anderson has become one of the most wanted midfielders in the market after a strong season for Forest and growing involvement with England. He joined Forest from Newcastle in 2024 for £35m, has already made 92 appearances for the club and finished the season with 50 games to his name, underlining how quickly his stock has risen.

City’s interest is understood to be serious, and the club are seen as potentially willing to pay a fee that could set a British transfer record, eclipsing the £105m Arsenal spent on Declan Rice in 2023. United, by contrast, are unwilling to enter a bidding war or get dragged into a prolonged negotiation, which is why City currently hold the advantage.

Forest still hope to keep both Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White, but the lack of European football next season makes a sale more likely. Vitor Pereira has said he wants to keep his best players, stressing that consistency is impossible if the squad changes every summer. The club’s position could improve further if Anderson has a strong World Cup with England, which might push his valuation even higher.

There is still a chance the situation changes, because the clubs remain far apart on price and no formal agreement has been reached. But at this stage City are in front, United are standing off, and Forest may be preparing for one of the biggest sales in their history.