Manchester United Targeting £100m Elliot Anderson Deal to Block Manchester City
Manchester United have already landed one big blow in the market. Now they are aiming straight for Manchester City’s ribs.
Fresh from closing in on Atalanta midfielder Ederson, United are preparing a late, aggressive move to hijack City’s £100m pursuit of Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson, a player INEOS have placed at the very top of their midfield wishlist.
Ederson first, but United want more
United’s rebuild in the middle of the pitch is not cosmetic. It is fundamental.
Casemiro is leaving as a free agent, with Inter Miami expected to be his next stop. Manuel Ugarte has been transfer-listed. The message from Old Trafford is clear: the engine room is being ripped out and replaced.
Ederson is the first piece. The Brazil international has agreed personal terms on a five-year contract, turning down other offers to push through his move to United. Talks with Atalanta are advanced, with a fee of around €45m (£38m) on the table.
That deal is seen as the opening act. The club want at least one more high-end central midfielder, possibly two.
Michael Carrick’s preferred option is Sandro Tonali from Newcastle. INEOS, though, are fixated on Anderson.
Anderson: City’s deal “well advanced”
There is a problem. Anderson is already halfway across town.
The 23-year-old England international has agreed personal terms with City, who see him as a central pillar of their next cycle under incoming head coach Enzo Maresca. Anderson is said to be excited by the prospect of working under Maresca and entirely unfazed by Pep Guardiola’s departure.
Talks between City and Nottingham Forest have been moving at pace. On May 27, insider Fraser Fletcher reported that negotiations were “rapidly advancing” and that a deal could be wrapped up before the end of the month.
Inside the game, the expectation is simple: Anderson to City is close.
United refuse to back off
United are not walking away.
They rate Anderson extremely highly and, according to multiple reports, have refused to stop pushing in the background. Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has described United as “calling and calling” for the midfielder, refusing to accept that the race is already run.
Now comes the escalation. As reported by the i, United are ready to make what has been described as a “serious play” to derail City’s move and drag Anderson towards Old Trafford instead.
Journalist Pete Hall summed up the mood from those close to the deal: insiders believe City’s agreement for Anderson is “well advanced” and that Guardiola’s exit will not derail it, “even though Manchester United intend to make a serious play for the England international.”
So United know the scale of the task. They also know the clock is ticking.
A race against time – and a packed shortlist
If United are going to blow up City’s carefully laid plans, they must do it now. Delay, and Anderson will be lost to the blue half of Manchester before June even begins.
INEOS have prepared for that scenario. Their midfield shortlist is deep and ambitious. Carlos Baleba, Aurelien Tchouameni, Tonali and Adam Wharton are all under serious consideration, with others in the frame as well.
Ederson is close. The structure of the new midfield, though, may hinge on what happens next with Anderson.
Do United land the man INEOS want most and steal him from under City’s nose, or do they watch another elite talent walk through the doors at the Etihad and pivot to Plan B?
