Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson is Manchester United’s top target, with Manchester United keen to sign the England international in a record transfer
Manchester United are reportedly eyeing Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson. The 23-year-old has emerged as a key target for Ruben Amorim’s side, who are keen to strengthen their central midfield.
Anderson joined Forest from Newcastle United last summer in a huge £35m deal. In his debut season at the City Ground, he made a whopping 42 appearances in all competitions, playing a key role in Forest’s seventh-place finish in the Premier League and their place in the FA Cup semi-finals.
Forest had a lackluster start to the 2025/26 season, but Anderson’s performances have been consistently impressive. After an excellent first season at Forest, he received his first call-up to the England first team in August. Since then, he has shone in a Three Lions shirt, starting four games against Andorra, Serbia, Wales and Latvia.
read more: Manchester United could target four replacements for Benjamin Sesco after Ruben Amorim hints at signing in Januaryread more: Marcus Rashford’s response to Barcelona speaks volumes, says manager Hansi Flick: ‘There’s too much noise’
On Sunday, Anderson scored his first goal of the season, converting a penalty for Forest’s third goal in a vital 3–1 win against Leeds United. As Mirror Football’s John Cross revealed last month, United “remain keen” to sign Anderson and have expressed serious interest.
Forest have been told United are interested in signing the Whitley Bay-born star, but the Reds are expected to demand a staggering fee of at least £100m, or closer to £120m. If United were to sign Anderson for that amount, or even more, they would break the club’s transfer record, which currently stands when Paul Pogba joined United from Juventus for £89 million in 2016.
Such a huge move would be a game-changer for Ruben Amorim and United, but the club may need to sell players to raise funds before spending a nine-figure sum on Anderson.
So how can you raise the funds you need? A good starting point would be to review the players currently on loan and assess whether any of them could command a big transfer fee. Marcus Rashford is currently the most likely candidate to be sold next summer.
The 28-year-old moved to Barcelona on a season-long loan in July and has been in good form for the La Liga side, scoring six goals and scoring a further nine in 16 appearances in all competitions. Barcelona, who are paying Rashford £8m this season, have the option to buy him for £26m at the end of his loan spell.
If Barça’s finances allow, this deal is very likely at this stage and would represent a significant return for United. Another candidate for sale is Rasmus Hojlund.
The Danish striker has found the back of the net four times in 10 games since joining Napoli on loan in August, and Antonio Conte’s side have the option to make his move permanent for £38m next summer. If United can secure that amount for the former Atalanta man, it would be a welcome boost to Anderson’s war chest.
United’s third high-profile player currently on loan, Jadon Sancho, was loaned to Aston Villa in the summer. Villa do not have the option of signing the 25-year-old, but his long-term future at Old Trafford appears uncertain. With a valuation of £20 million, selling him could be the best solution.
Andre Onana has been away from Manchester this season after his move to Turkish club Trabzonspor was delayed. United paid £47.5m for the 29-year-old Cameroon international from Inter Milan in 2023, but he is now valued at £26m, with United likely to get around £15m.
Selling Rashford, Wylund, Sancho and Onana could generate at least £85m, if not more, meaning United only need a fraction of the money to fund Anderson. However, United could sell a valuable asset not only to sign Anderson, but also to raise funds to strengthen other areas of the squad.
The Red Devils may be able to achieve that with Koby Mainu. The 20-year-old has only played 138 minutes in the Premier League this season, sparking concerns over his future at United, with Chelsea among others interested.
Mainu is valued at around £45m, which may seem low given his age and potential, but United may need to sell him just to make room for Anderson in the squad.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£43
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League matches next season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
