Man Utd wanted to sign Elliot Anderson this summer but the chances of that happening are receeding after Manchester City made a new bid.
Manchester United are set to move on to other midfield targets after Manchester City made an offer worth more than £120million for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson.
The Blues have made a verbal offer of £106million, with a further £15million in potential add-ons for the 23-year-old England international. That deal would eclipse the £105million Arsenal paid for the Declan Rice in 2023.
City and United made Anderson their leading target in midfield this summer but the player has always favoured a move to the Etihad and they are now trying to agree a deal with Forest.
United have already signed 26-year-old Ederson from Atalanta for £35million, with a potential £3.8million in add-ons, and they won’t match City’s offer for Anderson. That fee is considered too high by those in charge of recruitment at Old Trafford and they have no interest in entering a bidding war for Anderson, who is currently in Florida with England ahead of the start of their World Cup campaign.
The only possibility of United moving for Anderson would be if his potential move to City collapsed at this stage.
Instead, the focus at the moment is on midfield targets who United believe want to move to the club, with West Ham’s 21-year-old Mateus Fernandes at the top of that list.
There is also interest in Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, who has been training with England in North America ahead of the World Cup but will now return home before the tournament starts.
United also admire Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, but the France international currently looks likely to stay at the Bernabeu after the appointment of Jose Mourinho as manager.
United will sign at least one more midfielder after landing Ederson, who is set to sign a four-year contract with the option of a further year after Brazil are knocked out of the World Cup.
They could look to move for a third if they can sell Manuel Ugarte, who is currently with Uruguay at the World Cup but is attracting interest from clubs in Europe.
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