Manager Fabrizio Romano has hinted that Anderson is at the top of his shortlist, but so far no progress has been made. United have been interested in signing Anderson since last summer. His breakthrough at Forest continues with another impressive season, with the 23-year-old looking increasingly likely to be included in England’s World Cup squad.
Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Brighton’s Carlos Baleva are also thought to be among United’s midfield options. Casemiro will leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires, so it has been suggested that at least two midfielders could be brought in.
Nottingham Forest’s position in the Premier League means a summer move for Anderson is more likely. Vitor Pereira’s side are currently embroiled in a relegation battle, with only goal difference keeping them outside the bottom three.
Relegation to the Championship would effectively ensure their departure from the City Ground. Despite this, the Midlands club is still expected to pay a hefty fee.
Speaking on Sky Bet’s In the Mixer, Joleon Lescott explains why he thinks the former Newcastle United star could earn around £100m. Asked which team he thought would be relegated alongside Burnley and Wolves, he said: “I think Forest. I think West Ham will be relegated.”
The conversation then turned to Forest star Anderson, with Lescott continuing: “He’s a £100m player, right? Especially after he played in the World Cup. We’re not going to sell him before that, are we? We’re going to sell him after the World Cup.[If Forest go down]they’ll have to sell. But after that there’s a lot more teams interested.”
“They go down and more teams come in, because if he’s in the Premier League it’s like, ‘He won’t leave unless it’s £100 million.’ Then there’s only two or three teams. ”
