Manchester United believe they can beat Manchester City to the signing of Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson this summer, according to The Guardian.
The Red Devils have already secured an agreement to land Atalanta midfielder Ederson for £35 million upfront, and he is expected to join the club after the World Cup with Brazil.
The club are still aiming to add more quality in the centre of the park, and The Guardian cite that United are optimistic of beating the Cityzens to Anderson’s signature this summer.
Man City have already had an opening transfer bid worth £80m rejected for Anderson, and Forest are reportedly holding out for around £100m to sanction the 23-year-old’s exit.
United’s executives have not given up on Anderson and remain hopeful of persuading the midfielder.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been busy trimming costs at the club, but he would be prepared to meet Anderson’s wage demands, which could exceed £150,000 per week.
Anderson would be a phenomenal acquisition
Casemiro will leave the Red Devils when his contract expires on June 30. Manuel Ugarte could likewise head for the exit door. The club are actively looking to offload him.
United have already landed a quality signing in Ederson, but may ideally want a marquee number six from the transfer market. Anderson would be a perfect acquisition for the club.
The Englishman had a tremendous individual season with Forest last term. He won an impressive eight duels per league game alongside three tackles and eight recoveries.
Alongside his tireless work rate, Anderson completed 54 passes per outing with an accuracy of 86 percent. He also chipped in the final third with eight goal contributions in the league.
Anderson would be a solid upgrade on Casemiro due to his work rate and recovery pace. It was previously highlighted that United won’t overpay to bring Anderson to Old Trafford.
However, it now appears United accept that Anderson is worth £100m due to his immense potential and relatively young age (23). The onus is on the club’s hierarchy to convince him.
Stats from Sofascore.com
