Manchester United Targets Elliot Anderson as Sir Jim Ratcliffe Approves Wage Increase

Manchester United have stepped back into the fight for Elliot Anderson, and this time Sir Jim Ratcliffe is ready to pay the going rate.

What looked like a lost cause a few weeks ago has been dragged back into play. Faced with Nottingham Forest’s eye-watering £100million valuation and Manchester City’s early, firm interest, United’s recruitment team had effectively walked away and moved on to other midfield options.

Now the picture has changed.

Ratcliffe willing to pay the premium

According to reports, Ratcliffe has signalled he is prepared to meet Anderson’s wage demands as United try to go toe-to-toe with City for one of the most coveted midfielders on the Premier League market.

Anderson, 23, is currently on around £100,000 per week at the City Ground. Any move to Manchester – red or blue – is expected to come with a 50 per cent pay rise. United believe they can live with that. The real problem is Forest’s stance on the fee.

City have already seen one bid rejected and are preparing a second offer in excess of £80m, still short of Forest’s £100m asking price. United know they will have to operate in that same financial territory if they are to have any chance of prising him away.

The timing adds another layer. Anderson is expected to start for England alongside Declan Rice in the Three Lions’ World Cup group opener against Croatia. If he shines on that stage, Forest’s resolve – and their price – will only harden.

United’s midfield rebuild gathers pace

United have not been idle while the Anderson saga has rumbled in the background. When they initially cooled their interest, attention snapped to Atalanta’s Ederson. That deal, worth around £38m, has now been completed, with the Brazilian set for a late World Cup call-up.

One midfielder in. Another still wanted.

A second addition in the middle of the park remains on the agenda, with Mateus Fernandes of West Ham, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba all monitored. Anderson, though, sits in a different bracket: a statement signing, one that would land Ratcliffe an early blow in the transfer market battle with City.

Club executives are said to be confident they can still beat Pep Guardiola’s side to the deal. Confidence is one thing; navigating Forest’s demands and the looming World Cup shop window is another.

World Cup stakes and squad dominoes

The international tournament threatens to reshape more than just Anderson’s price tag. Yan Diomande, another player admired at Old Trafford, could also see his future dictated by his performances with Ivory Coast, who face Ecuador, Germany and Curacao in the group stage. United have tracked him, but Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool are now circling, and a move to one of those two looks more likely if he leaves RB Leipzig.

United had hoped to avoid this kind of World Cup-inflated scramble with Ederson, only to see Carlo Ancelotti step in and choose him as the replacement for the injured Wesley, forcing United back into the market and back towards Anderson.

While midfield dominates the agenda, there is turbulence in attack. Marcus Rashford’s future hangs over the squad, with the forward intent on securing a permanent move to Barcelona. That stance has led him to turn down approaches from Arsenal, Newcastle United, Tottenham and, most recently, Bayern Munich.

He has not played for United in 18 months, but his potential departure still leaves a sizeable hole. The club have already started to explore replacements. Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye has emerged as a live target, while Diomande had also been under consideration before his likely switch elsewhere.

On the England front, Rashford faces a straight fight with Anthony Gordon for the left-wing berth, while United’s own Kobbie Mainoo is expected to be the first reserve option behind both Rice and Anderson in Gareth Southgate’s midfield plans.

So United watch. They wait. They negotiate.

Ratcliffe has made one thing clear: if Anderson is the man they want, wage demands will not be the reason he ends up in sky blue instead of red. The real test now is whether United are prepared to go all the way to Forest’s price – and how much more that number climbs once the World Cup spotlight hits.