Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson is said to be prioritizing joining Manchester City instead of Manchester United in the summer transfer window of 2026. The English international is currently valued at £120 million after a season of sublimation with Forest in the Premier League.
Anderson has made a strong impression with his abundant energy, ability to compete and regulate the midfield, making a great contribution to helping Nottingham Forest successfully stay in the league. As the season closes and the 2026 World Cup approaches, his future quickly becomes one of the hottest topics on the transfer market.
According to British media, Man City is dominating the race to sign Anderson and the player himself is also leaning towards the possibility of moving to the Etihad stadium. Notably, this is happening in the context that Man City has not officially appointed a new head coach after Pep Guardiola's departure, although Enzo Maresca is said to be very close to the hot seat.
However, the deal has not yet made a decisive breakthrough. Man City has not reached an agreement with Nottingham Forest, meaning the negotiation process still has many obstacles. Meanwhile, Man United still maintains their position of not rushing into a too tense auction.
Anderson joined Forest from Newcastle in 2024 for a fee of about 35 million pounds and quickly became an important factor in the squad. If he continues to shine at the World Cup, his value is likely to increase even higher.
Not only Anderson, the future of Morgan Gibbs-White is also becoming a big question mark at City Ground. However, coach Vitor Pereira affirmed that he wants to keep the current squad to build long-term stability for the team.
I believe that if we want to compete for bigger goals, we must keep the best players. If we change the force too much after each season, it will be very difficult to create a solid foundation. Of course, we cannot completely control the transfer market, but the club is trying to keep most of the squad" - Pereira shared.
Anderson's performance this season has also received much praise from experts. After the match between Nottingham Forest and Man United earlier this month, Michael Carrick highly appreciated the role of the young English player.
He played very well. I think Anderson is an extremely important part of the team. Forest possesses an energetic and dangerous team. Anderson is clearly a key link in how they operate" - Man United coach commented.
The point that makes Anderson special in the transfer market is his ability to play diversely in midfield. He can take on the role of a shuttle midfielder, supporting defense or pushing high to press with high intensity.
This comprehensiveness is considered very suitable for the controlled and energetic football philosophy that Man City has pursued for many years. With his young age and great development potential, Anderson is assessed to be able to become one of the top central midfielders of English football in the near future.
