Man United revive £100m Elliot Anderson pursuit despite City's rival bid

Manchester United have re-entered the race to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson after initially conceding ground to Manchester City, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe understood to be prepared to meet the player’s salary demands in what would be a deal worth up to £100m.

Old Trafford executives had previously accepted defeat in their pursuit after Forest’s substantial valuation and City’s aggressive approach led them to explore alternative targets. United moved quickly to secure Atalanta’s Ederson as their primary midfield reinforcement, completing a £38m deal for the Brazil international. A second midfield signing remains under consideration, with West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba all attracting interest.

However, The Guardian reports that United remain determined to land Anderson and believe they can outmanoeuvre City for his signature. Anderson currently earns £100,000 per week at the City Ground, and whichever Manchester club he joins is expected to offer a 50 per cent pay rise. City have already had one bid rejected and are preparing a second proposal exceeding £80m — still well short of Forest’s valuation.

Anderson’s performances at the World Cup with England could complicate matters further. The 23-year-old is expected to partner Declan Rice in midfield for the Three Lions’ group-stage opener against Croatia, and a strong tournament could prompt Forest to raise their asking price.

Elsewhere in United’s summer planning, Marcus Rashford’s future remains unresolved. The forward is pushing for a permanent move to Barcelona and has rejected approaches from Arsenal, Newcastle, Tottenham and Bayern Munich. Despite not featuring for the club in 18 months, United are already identifying potential replacements, with Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye emerging as a target. Yan Diomande of RB Leipzig was also considered, though the Ivory Coast international appears likely to join either Paris Saint-Germain or Liverpool.

Manager Michael Carrick is overseeing a significant midfield overhaul, with the Ederson deal already confirmed and the Anderson situation set to develop further as the World Cup progresses.