Manchester United's Late Raid for Elliot Anderson
Manchester United have already landed one statement midfield signing. Now they are trying to rip up their rival’s plans for the next.
With Ederson edging closer to a move from Atalanta, United are preparing a late and aggressive attempt to hijack Manchester City’s £100m pursuit of Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson, a player viewed inside Old Trafford as a centrepiece for their rebuild.
Midfield reset at Old Trafford
Casemiro’s exit on a free, with Inter Miami the likely destination, and Manuel Ugarte being made available for transfer have left United facing a full-scale overhaul in the middle of the pitch. The plan is bold: two, and possibly three, new central midfielders before the window shuts.
Ederson is the first piece. The Brazil international, capped three times, has agreed personal terms on a five-year deal and turned down other offers to prioritise United. Talks with Atalanta over a fee of around €45m (£38m) are advanced, and there is confidence that part of the business gets done.
After that, the bar rises. Michael Carrick’s preferred option is Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, but the name at the top of the INEOS recruitment list is Anderson.
And that is where the battle line with City is drawn.
City deal ‘well advanced’ – but United won’t walk away
The problem for United is stark. Anderson has already shaken hands on personal terms with City, the current League Cup and FA Cup holders. He is excited by the prospect of working under incoming manager Enzo Maresca and is unfazed by Pep Guardiola’s departure.
Talks between City and Forest have been moving at speed. As revealed on May 27 by Fraser Fletcher, negotiations were described as “rapidly advancing”, with a deal expected before the end of May.
United know all of this. And they are still pushing.
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has reported that United have been “calling and calling” about Anderson, refusing to accept that the race is over. The i newspaper now says United are ready to make what has been described as a “serious play” to crash City’s move at the eleventh hour.
Journalist Pete Hall summed up the mood around the Etihad: insiders believe the Anderson deal is already well down the track and that Guardiola’s exit will not derail it, even with United primed to make their move.
If United are going to change the story, they will have to do it quickly.
All-or-nothing push for Anderson
This is not a casual enquiry. United rate Anderson extremely highly and see him as a long-term pillar of their next midfield, not just another name on a long shortlist.
The reality, though, is harsh. City have the agreement with the player, the trophies, the recent track record of developing talent, and a clear tactical plan under Maresca. United must find something powerful enough to drag the 23-year-old across the city divide: a different role, a bigger platform, a more central status in the project. And they must do it before Forest and City shake hands on the fee.
If they fail, the recruitment team will pivot. Alternatives are already lined up: Carlos Baleba, Aurelien Tchouameni, Tonali and Adam Wharton are among a broader group of options under consideration by INEOS.
For now, though, the focus is razor sharp. Ederson first, then an audacious attempt to snatch Anderson from City’s grasp.
If United pull it off, it will be the defining blow of their summer. If they don’t, it will be another reminder of how far they still have to climb in a city they once ruled.
