Manchester United are looking to add a midfielder in the summer, with Nottingham Forest’s Elliott Anderson one of their favorites after recently considering Carlos Baleva.
Manchester United could look to Nottingham Forest ace Elliott Anderson to add a central midfielder to their squad, but signing the England star could cost as much as £120m.
The Red Devils were keen to improve the quality of the center of the park in the summer, but ultimately it was put on the back burner as funding ran out. Carlos Baleva has emerged as a target after his impressive form at Brighton.
A transfer was always considered impractical and the player remained at the Amex, but United have a number of midfielders they are tracking, including Anderson. Newcastle are also interested in the academy midfielder before he was sold for PSR reasons.
Since then, Anderson has developed at the City Ground and become one of the top performers. He was part of the England Under-21 team that won the Euros this summer and has been selected in several first-team squads ahead of the World Cup.
Germany’s Sky newspaper reported that Forest are in a better position in negotiations as Anderson does not have a release clause in his contract. If they sell the midfielder, they are hoping for a sum between £100m and £120m. This is the highest fee in club history for either United or Newcastle.
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Anderson only cost Forest £35m, but the 22-year-old has his best years ahead of him. He would also help fill the raw player slot, making him a more attractive proposition. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe admitted he was still frustrated by his departure and would welcome him back with open arms.
If he performs well at next summer’s North American World Cup, the midfielder’s value could rise even further. Ruben Amorim currently plays as the favorite midfield pair alongside Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, but experts believe both players have flaws in that position.
Fernandes will have to play a deeper role, limiting how much influence he can have in the final third. Casemiro is now well into his 30s and despite an impressive few weeks, critics claim he doesn’t have the stamina to get around the pitch effectively.
Manager Thomas Tuchel clearly admires Anderson, giving the England international a chance and recently praising the qualities of the Forest ace.
“He’s just a very, very good football player,” he said. “He’s physical, he’s very mobile at No. 6. He’s physical, he likes to defend, he loves to duel with his body. He loves to pass, he loves to break the line, he’s very mobile in this game. It was fun to watch.”
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