Manchester City and Manchester United are set to go to war over the signature of Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Elliot Anderson this summer, with the Tricky Trees reportedly valuing the midfielder in the £100m bracket.
There is even a suggestion that underperforming Chelsea could be the mix to sign the midfielder, although the Blues’ recent struggles make a switch to south west London unlikely.
Anderson has developed into a top midfielder
.jpg){kind=link}
The former Newcastle United star has matured in recent seasons and is now regarded as a top player in his position. The 23-year-old’s consistency has attracted interest from clubs across Europe.
Despite his team’s struggles near the bottom of the table this season, Anderson has still managed to enjoy a relatively consistent campaign. With the dearth of top-quality players of his type, he has inevitably caught the eye of more high-performing clubs.
Manchester City are favourites to sign Anderson
A few days ago, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that Manchester City were in talks to sign the Forest star. Even without that claim, City have always looked in pole position to acquire Anderson’s services this summer.
The chance to work with head coach Pep Guardiola is likely to be an attraction, as is the chance to challenge for the biggest trophies in the European game. On the other hand, English players have gone to City in recent seasons and suffered the frustration of limited playing time.
However, it seems Manchester United are not giving up on signing the midfielder easily and will look to tempt him to join the red side of Manchester, rather than the blue. The fact that the Red Devils are well-positioned to qualify for the Champions League will only aid their bid for the midfielder.
Anderson is seen as the perfect replacement for veteran Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, who will be leaving United this summer. United have also been linked with a move for Real Madrid’s French international midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who is considered a viable alternative to Anderson, as it seems unlikely the Red Devils will sign both players this summer.