Manchester City close in on Elliot Anderson as United balk at £100m fee

Manchester City are set to win the race for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson after Manchester United pulled out of negotiations over his £100 million asking price, according to reports.

United manager Michael Carrick had identified Anderson as a midfield target, but the club’s hierarchy decided the valuation was too steep and have conceded the ground to their city rivals. City, by contrast, are described as “very confident” of securing the 23-year-old’s signature despite Pep Guardiola’s recent departure from the Etihad.

The transfer carries an added dimension for Anderson beyond the football itself. City finished second in the Premier League behind Arsenal and have qualified for next season’s Champions League — precisely the competition the Scotland international has said he is desperate to return to.

“I’m desperate to be there again,” Anderson said in April 2025. “It was a really proud moment playing in the Champions League and to be honest I never thought I’d be playing in my first season away from Newcastle, but I think if we keep going the way we’re going and do what we’ve done all season then I think we’ve got a good chance.”

Anderson made two Champions League appearances for Newcastle during the 2023/24 campaign before joining Forest. The Nottingham club looked well-placed to secure a top-four finish last season but ultimately qualified for the Europa League, reaching the semi-finals this term — a creditable run that nonetheless fell short of Anderson’s stated ambitions.

City will be led by a new manager next season, with Enzo Maresca expected to replace Guardiola at the Etihad. The club exited this season’s Champions League at the round of 16, losing 5-1 on aggregate to Real Madrid in March, though they remain the competition’s reigning champions following their historic treble in 2022/23.

Guardiola, speaking before his exit, expressed confidence in the club’s future without him. “I know the players here, they will do it. I know it,” he said, adding a message to supporters: “Don’t wait to win the Champions League to be happy, enjoy the process.”

United, meanwhile, must now look elsewhere to address their midfield needs ahead of next season.