Manchester United believe they can outmanoeuvre Manchester City in the race to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, 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 have already seen an £80m bid rejected by Forest, but United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, is optimistic about securing Anderson’s signature. The player currently earns about £100,000 a week at Forest and could expect a 50% increase regardless of which Manchester club he joins.
United have also agreed a €40.5m (£35m) deal with Atalanta for Brazilian midfielder Éderson, who will earn approximately £70,000 a week. Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is prepared to meet Anderson’s wage demands despite ongoing cost-cutting efforts at Old Trafford.
Wilcox is also monitoring West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes as an alternative midfield option. The 21-year-old Portuguese is valued at around £80m, though that fee may prove unrealistic. Fernandes’s wages were cut by 50% after West Ham’s relegation, making him a more budget-friendly option.
Brighton’s Carlos Baleba is another target, but the club expects the 22-year-old Cameroon midfielder to stay. Meanwhile, Casemiro is set to join Inter Miami, though complications over his discovery rights and designated player status remain.
