Man United prepare £34m bid for Lens midfielder Sangare as Anderson joins City

Manchester United are preparing a bid for RC Lens midfielder Mamadou Sangare, valued at around £34m, after rivals Manchester City effectively ended the race for Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson with an offer worth more than £120m.

City submitted a verbal bid of £106m plus £15m in potential add-ons for the 23-year-old England international — a deal that would surpass the £105m Arsenal paid for Declan Rice in 2023. Anderson is reported to favour a move to City, who are now working to finalise terms with Forest.

With Anderson no longer a realistic option, United have turned their attention to Sangare. According to Foot Mercato, the club are impressed by the Guinean midfielder’s development and long-term potential, and a formal offer is being prepared. Lens are said to be holding out for significantly more than Sangare’s estimated £34m valuation, and United are unlikely to be his only suitors this summer.

The 23-year-old arrived at Lens for just €8m (£6.9m) and made an immediate impact in his debut Ligue 1 campaign, helping the club finish second in the French top flight. A box-to-box midfielder, Sangare has been described as a ‘monster’ in transition and has drawn widespread attention for his energy and defensive contributions.

Sangare recently spoke to RFI about the evolution of his game. “I love going to defend against the opponent. I really made progress on that,” he said. “I really like this aspect of my game, because it really makes me happy to go get balls.”

Separately, United have already agreed a £35m deal for Atalanta midfielder Ederson, who is set to become the club’s first signing of the summer under Michael Carrick. The 26-year-old Brazilian is expected to sign a four-year contract with an option for a fifth year, though the timeline for completing the move has shifted after Ederson was called up to the Brazil squad as a replacement for the injured Wesley.