Man United make Elliot Anderson transfer decision as Man City launch record £121M offer | OneFootball

Manchester United have dropped out of the race to sign Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Elliot Anderson this summer, as per a new report.

The update effectively removes Manchester United from the race for the Nottingham Forest midfielder, leaving Manchester City as the clear frontrunners to complete the signing of their primary midfield target.

United had been credited with optimism over a potential hijack as recently as earlier this week, with reports from The Guardian suggesting they believed Anderson could be persuaded to move to Old Trafford over the Etihad Stadium.

Anderson has consistently been understood to prefer a move to Manchester City, with reports having previously suggested United were told weeks ago of his preference for the Etihad Stadium and with the 23-year-old having already undergone a City medical during the FIFA World Cup with Thomas Tuchel‘s permission.

Report: United withdraw from Anderson pursuit

As reported by BBC Sport’s Simon Stone, Manchester United are not pursuing Elliot Anderson any further as it stands, only wanting players who are keen to join and having no wish to get involved in a bidding war with Manchester City for the Nottingham Forest midfielder.

The update clears the path considerably for City, who have already submitted a second bid worth £106 million plus £15 million in bonuses that was regarded as unacceptable by owner Evangelos Marinakis, though talks between the two clubs remain ongoing with Marinakis having reluctantly accepted Anderson’s departure and pushing for a record fee.

What is the wider context for City’s pursuit?

United’s withdrawal removes the most credible threat to City’s position in the race, with director of football Hugo Viana having identified Anderson as the ideal replacement for Bernardo Silva and incoming manager Enzo Maresca described as fully behind the pursuit from the very beginning.

The remaining obstacle is purely financial, with the gap between City’s offer and Forest’s demands centred on whether the fixed fee can exceed the current British record of £125 million Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak last summer.

With United now out of the picture, the pressure on both City and Forest to find a resolution increases – and the chances of one arriving in the coming days have improved considerably.