Man City Leapfrog Rivals Man Utd In Race For Anderson

Manchester City have moved ahead of Manchester United in the pursuit of Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, who is increasingly leaning toward a switch to the Etihad Stadium.

Expectation is growing that the 23-year-old will depart the City Ground this summer. United, however, are reluctant to overpay or become entangled in lengthy negotiations.

No agreement has been reached between Forest and City, with the two clubs far apart in their valuation of the player. That means the situation remains fluid.

The transfer fee could set a new record for a British player, surpassing the £105 million Arsenal paid West Ham for Declan Rice in 2023.

Forest officials sense that if a major sale happens this summer, Anderson will be the one and a strong World Cup campaign with England would only strengthen their bargaining hand.

After Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, Forest manager Vitor Pereira said Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White deserve “the top of the world.”

While he would prefer to keep both, Anderson is currently the more likely to leave, especially with no European football at the City Ground next season following Forest’s 16th-place Premier League finish.

“I believe if we want to compete for different goals, we need to keep the best players,” Pereira said.

“If not, if you change every season, it is difficult to be consistent and difficult to build something stronger. We cannot control the market, of course, but I think we are aligned; what I think and what the club thinks is to try to keep most of them and to try to control the market.”

Anderson, who helped England win the 2025 European Under-21 Championship, joined Forest from Newcastle in 2024 for £35 million. He has made 92 appearances for the club, scoring six goals.

Sunday’s match against Bournemouth was his 50th outing of the season, and he received a standing ovation when substituted in the second half.