Manchester United remain optimistic about signing Elliot Anderson, believing they can beat Manchester City to the Nottingham Forest midfielder, who is valued at around £100m. The 23-year-old is expected to start for England in their World Cup opener against Croatia on 17 June.
City are considered favourites and have already had an initial £80m bid rejected by Forest. However, United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, is also monitoring Mateus Fernandes as an alternative, though West Ham’s reported £80m asking price for the 21-year-old Portuguese may prove unrealistic.
United have already agreed a €40.5m (£35m) deal with Atalanta for Brazilian midfielder Éderson, 26, who is expected to earn around £70,000 a week at Old Trafford. Anderson’s current salary at Forest is about £100,000 a week, and he could receive a 50% increase at either Manchester club.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, United’s co-owner, is focused on cost-cutting but would meet Anderson’s wage demands if the former Newcastle player chooses United over City. Anderson’s contract runs until June 2029, but he is widely expected to leave this summer.
Fernandes, who is not in Portugal’s World Cup squad, had his £70,000-a-week wage at West Ham halved after their relegation, making his salary fit Ratcliffe’s budget. Wilcox previously worked with Fernandes at Southampton, and United’s head of senior scouting, Kyle Macaulay, was involved in his move to West Ham.
United are also interested in Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, but the 22-year-old Cameroon midfielder is expected to stay. Meanwhile, Casemiro, whose departure weakened Michael Carrick’s midfield options, is set to join Inter Miami, though a deal is complicated by LA Galaxy’s discovery rights and salary cap issues.
