Elliot Anderson’s next club might have been very different, as a new offer has just come up.
After leading England’s midfield at the 2026 World Cup, Elliot Anderson is getting ready to move to Manchester. But his arrival in the northwest could have gone a very different way.
Anderson is swapping the red of Nottingham Forest for the sky blue of Manchester City. He recently finished his medical while with the World Cup squad, completing a £116 million transfer. That huge fee makes him one of the most expensive players in Premier League history, though it looks a bit smaller when you adjust for inflation.
Now established as England’s starting holding midfielder, Anderson aims to take Rodri’s spot at City. Rodri is still recovering from an ACL injury, so the timing is perfect for Anderson.
But Anderson almost joined Manchester United instead. The red side of Manchester had plans for him to be their next captain. According to The Athletic, United started talks with Anderson this summer, seeing him as a player like Paul Scholes and a future leader.
They even asked Forest about the price before it became public and began talks with Anderson. United talked about making him their captain one day, believing he could follow in Bruno Fernandes’s footsteps as a leader. Under Bruno’s guidance, it could have been a perfect match.
In the end, United pulled out when they found out Forest wanted a nine-digit fee—more than they were willing to pay.
Now United have a bit of a midfield problem, even though they earned millions in compensation after Manuel Ugarte missed the World Cup due to injury. Right now, their only experienced holding midfielders are Mainoo and the injured Ugarte. With Carrick playing a different role, they’d have to make do with their current squad.
Things got tougher this week when long-time target Mateus Fernandes chose Spurs over United. United is now expected to sign Brazilian midfielder Éderson from Atalanta after the World Cup, with a fee around £35 million being discussed.
They are also interested in Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Tyler Adams, as well as Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni and Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha.
For United, this summer’s rebuild is crucial. It could be the difference between becoming a Premier League powerhouse again or struggling through a tough Champions League season, like Newcastle did recently.