‘Clear frontrunners’: BBC journo drops major update regarding Man Utd’s pursuit of £80m England international

Manchester United will have to directly vie with their fierce rivals, Manchester City, in pursuit of Elliot Anderson this summer.

The midfielder is poised to be one of the most coveted stars of the transfer window – and perhaps even more so after the World Cup.

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BBC journalist Sami Mokbel has shed some light on the situation, claiming that City have, unfortunately for United, been deemed ‘clear frontrunners’ in the race for the 23-year-old.

– Thursday, 19 March 2026

The Abu Dhabi-owned Blues can not only offer Nottingham Forest a substantial transfer fee, but they can also table Anderson a lucrative financial offer that would see his wages increase considerably.

It’s thought Forest will demand a minimum of £80 million to facilitate the exit of their midfield talisman ; while they will be doing their utmost behind the scenes to convince him to stay put, their efforts would be rendered in vain in the event they drop back down to the Championship upon the culmination of 2025/2026.

(Anderson’s record in the Premier League, courtesy of Transfermarkt )

In the meantime, United won’t be deterred by City’s attempts to secure Anderson’s signature , not least because the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha chose Old Trafford moves last year after garnering a lengthy list of suitors across Europe – and opted to do so even without Champions League football on offer.

Mbeumo, in particular, had received approaches from Arsenal, Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur, all of whom had qualified for the UCL, yet told Brentford he would only leave for United.

– Monday, 2 June 2025

As for Anderson’s stance, his main focus from now until May will be keeping Forest in the top flight and progressing as far as possible in the Europa League following their last-16 victory last night.

Then, it’s all eyes on the World Cup, where he’s expected to play an integral role in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.

– Monday, 9 March 2026

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