Manchester City have agreed a club-record £116m deal with Nottingham Forest for England midfielder Elliot Anderson, a move that leaves Manchester United scrambling for alternatives after their own pursuit failed and they lost Manuel Ugarte to a serious knee injury at the World Cup.
City sources insist the fee is £116m with no bonuses, though other sources value the deal at up to £130m – which would eclipse the British record £125m Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak last summer. Anderson, 23, is set for a medical after Forest rejected two earlier bids, and personal terms are not expected to be an issue.
“Man City agree £116m club-record deal for Elliot Anderson; Man Utd left needing alternatives after Ugarte injury.”
Anderson, who joined Forest for £35m from Newcastle in 2024, has made 88 appearances and scored four goals for the club. He helped them finish seventh in 2024-25 and 16th last season, when they also reached the Europa League semi-finals. This season he topped Premier League stats for touches (3,300), possession won (306), duels won (297) and fouls drawn (80).
Forest, now seeking replacements, are interested in Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall and Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi, and are expected to sign two midfielders this summer.
Manchester United, meanwhile, had been linked with Anderson as a long-term replacement for the departing Casemiro. But with City’s deal all but done, United have one fewer option – and a fresh urgency after Ugarte was stretchered off with a knee ligament injury during Uruguay’s World Cup match against Spain, which could sideline him for months.
Former United striker Teddy Sheringham has urged the club to turn their attention to Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton. “Adam Wharton missing out on the World Cup makes it a good time for Manchester United to get that deal done,” Sheringham told BOYLE Sports. “I think Elliot Anderson is the better player but I do like both of them. They’re both very comfortable on the ball.”
Sheringham, who played for United from 1997 to 2001, added: “There’s been a lot of talk about Elliot Anderson going to Manchester United but Anderson or Wharton would be a very good acquisition for me. [Michael] Carrick knows when you’re Manchester United and you’re playing at home at Old Trafford you need to camp in the other team’s half. You need to box them in. You can’t rely on hitting teams on the break when you’re at Old Trafford… You can’t do it without the right players. That’s why he needs to go and sign someone like Elliot Anderson or Adam Wharton who can win the ball high up the pitch.”
Anderson himself is focused on England’s World Cup Group L game against Panama on Saturday. “It’s pretty easy really, I’m just focusing on the present, I’m blocking it all out,” he told BBC Sport. “I’ve got a plan and it’s to perform for England. I’m putting myself in the best position to cross the line and do that.”
For United, the clock is ticking. With Ugarte facing months out and City landing their prime target, the pressure is on to secure a midfielder before the window closes.