Manchester United Reignites Pursuit of Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has stepped back into the ring.
After appearing to walk away from a deal for Elliot Anderson, Manchester United have reignited their pursuit of the Nottingham Forest midfielder and are now ready to go head‑to‑head with Manchester City for his signature – with Ratcliffe prepared to sign off on the wage packet required to do it.
United had effectively cooled their interest once Forest’s £100million valuation collided with City’s strong, early push. Old Trafford’s recruitment team pivoted quickly, closing in on Atalanta’s Ederson and sealing a £38m move for the Brazilian, who is expected to be a late World Cup call-up. That business was supposed to reshape the midfield without getting dragged into a bidding war.
It hasn’t worked out that way.
United still want a second midfielder and, according to The Guardian, Anderson remains firmly on their list. Inside the club, there is a belief they can still beat City to him, despite Forest’s stance and the scale of the financial commitment. The key lever is Ratcliffe’s willingness to meet Anderson’s wage demands.
Anderson currently earns around £100,000 per week at the City Ground. Any move across the Midlands and up the M6 – whether to the red or blue half of Manchester – is expected to come with roughly a 50 per cent rise. That would push him into the upper bracket of earners at his next club, a clear statement about how central he is viewed to their plans.
City have already tested Forest’s resolve with a bid that was turned down and are preparing a second offer in excess of £80m. Even that, though, sits short of Forest’s £100m asking price. The calculation in Nottingham is simple: Anderson’s value could spike again within weeks.
World Cup stakes
The timing could hardly be more delicate. Anderson is expected to start for England alongside Declan Rice in the Three Lions’ World Cup group-stage opener against Croatia. If he shines on the biggest stage, Forest will feel emboldened to hold out for every last pound – or even push the price higher.
United know that scenario well. A strong World Cup can turn an expensive deal into an eye-watering one. Yet the need in midfield is pressing enough that they are staying in the race, even after securing Ederson.
Behind Rice and Anderson in Gareth Southgate’s plans sits United’s own Kobbie Mainoo, likely to be the first alternative to either in the middle of the park. His rapid rise underlines why United do not want to block his path, but the club hierarchy also recognise the need for depth if they are to compete across four fronts.
On the flanks, another major decision looms.
Rashford question and wide options
Marcus Rashford is locked in a battle with Anthony Gordon for England’s left-wing berth, yet his club future continues to hover in the background. United have not used him in 18 months, and internally the search for potential replacements has already begun.
One complicating factor: Rashford is understood to remain intent on a permanent move to Barcelona. That stance has seen him turn down interest from Arsenal, Newcastle United, Tottenham and, most recently, Bayern Munich. For United, it narrows the market and increases the need to plan aggressively for life without him.
Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye has emerged as a realistic target in recent weeks. RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande has also been on the radar, though he now looks more likely to end up at Paris Saint-Germain or Liverpool if he leaves Germany. Like Anderson, Diomande’s World Cup could reshape the landscape, with Ivory Coast set to face Ecuador, Germany and Curacao in the group stage.
United had hoped to avoid that kind of tournament-driven inflation with Ederson. The idea was to move early, secure one key midfield piece, and then work more strategically on the second. Instead, Carlo Ancelotti has chosen Ederson as the replacement for the injured Wesley, ripping up those plans and forcing United back into a market that is about to be supercharged by international football.
So United stand here again, circling a £100m midfielder with City in the opposite corner, a World Cup about to begin, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe ready to push the wage ceiling to get his man.
If they win this battle for Anderson, it will say plenty about the new regime’s ambition. If they lose it, the question will be simple: where do they turn next in a midfield arms race they cannot afford to sit out?
