Manchester United Targets Elliot Anderson to Block Manchester City’s Move

Manchester United have no intention of letting Manchester City stroll unchallenged to one of the most coveted midfielders in the Premier League this summer.

Fresh from closing in on Atalanta’s Ederson, United are preparing a late, aggressive move to hijack City’s bid for Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson, a deal insiders believe is already well advanced.

Ederson first, but not last

United’s rebuild in midfield is gathering pace. Casemiro is leaving as a free agent, with Inter Miami expected to be his next stop, and Manuel Ugarte has been placed on the transfer list. The message from Old Trafford is blunt: the engine room is being ripped out and rebuilt.

Ederson is the first pillar. The Atalanta midfielder has agreed personal terms on a five-year contract, turning down other interest to push through his move to United. The Brazil international, capped three times, has given the club his word. Now it is down to the clubs.

Talks with Atalanta are described as “deep” and advanced, with the fee set to land at around €45m (£38m). United expect that deal to be tied up, then the real fireworks begin.

Anderson: INEOS’ No 1, City’s deal to lose

Once Ederson is through the door, United will turn to higher-profile additions. Michael Carrick’s preferred option is Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, but INEOS have fixed their gaze elsewhere. Their top target is Elliot Anderson, the 23-year-old Nottingham Forest midfielder who has exploded onto the radar of England and the Premier League elite.

There is one problem. A big one. Anderson is already far down the road with Manchester City.

The Forest man has agreed personal terms with the League Cup and FA Cup holders and is said to be relishing the prospect of working under incoming head coach Enzo Maresca. The departure of Pep Guardiola, seismic as it is, has not cooled his enthusiasm for the move.

On May 27, insider Fraser Fletcher reported that talks between City and Forest were “rapidly advancing”, with a growing expectation that a deal could be completed before the end of May. Within City, the feeling is clear: this is their transfer to finish, not to start.

United refuse to back off

United, though, are not walking away. Far from it.

Fabrizio Romano has already revealed that United have been “calling and calling” about Anderson, refusing to let the situation drift. Now, according to the i paper, those calls are about to turn into a full-scale push.

Reporter Pete Hall writes that United are ready to make a “serious play” to derail City’s move for the England international. The view from inside the deal is telling: “Insiders believe a [Man City] deal for Elliot Anderson is well advanced and Guardiola’s departure will not disrupt the transfer, even though Manchester United intend to make a serious play for the England international.”

So United know exactly what they are up against. They are trying to turn a player who can already see the Etihad in front of him and drag him across town to Old Trafford.

If they want to do it, they have to move now.

Plan B: a crowded shortlist

United’s hierarchy are realistic. If City close out the Anderson deal as expected, INEOS will pivot quickly.

Alternative options are already lined up. Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni, Tonali and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton are among a lengthy shortlist being worked through at Carrington. Two midfielders are viewed as essential, three as possible if sales and wages fall into place.

But Anderson is the one they really want. He is the one INEOS have ringed in red. He is the one City think they have.

So the summer battle lines are drawn: a £100m midfield prize, one city, two giants, and a race that might say as much about the new Manchester United as it does about the old, relentless Manchester City.