Man Utd ROCKED as £85m midfielder fancies Man City as ‘ideal next step’: ‘Looking favourably on a move’ | OneFootball

Manchester United have suffered a huge blow in their quest to bring Elliot Anderson to Old Trafford, with a report revealing how the Nottingham Forest midfielder feels about a potential move to Manchester City.

TEAMtalk has long reported Man Utd’s desire to sign Anderson from Forest. While the likes of Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba are also on the wishlist of Man Utd co-owners INEOS, Anderson remains a player of keen interest to the Premier League club.

However, Man Utd, who recently appointed Michael Carrick as the interim manager until the end of the season, are not alone in their admiration of the England international, with Man City also keen on Anderson.

On January 5, our transfer insider, Dean Jones, reported that Man City were growing in confidence of beating Man Utd to the signing of Anderson.

Sources told us at the time that Man City believe that Anderson, who is valued at £85million (€97.5m, $114.1m(, would prefer a move to the Etihad Stadium to a move to Old Trafford.

Our transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, subsequently reported on January 12 that Man City have made contact with Anderson’s camp.

The Cityzens informed the Forest midfielder’s entourage that they planned to formalise a bid for the 23-year-old in the summer of 2026.

CaughtOffSide has now brought an update on Anderson’s situation, claiming that the former Newcastle United midfielder fancies a move to Man City.

While acknowledging interest in Anderson from Man Utd, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Man City, the report has quoted a source as saying: “City have been keen to do their work early on this deal.”

The report backed our claim that Man City have already held initial talks with Anderson’s camp, claiming that multiple sources have indicated that ‘Anderson was looking favourably on a move to the Etihad Stadium as the ideal next step in his career’.

Elliot Anderson is Man City’s next big target – sources

Man City have already signed Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth and Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace in the January transfer window.

While Anderson is one for the summer, sources have told our transfer insider, Dean Jones, that the Forest midfielder is Man City’s ‘next big target’.

We understand that Man City plans to take an aggressive approach to sign Anderson, just as they did with Semenyo and Guehi.

Man Utd were among the clubs keen on Semenyo, but Man City triggered the release clause in his contract at Bournemouth and convinced the Ghana international winger that he would win major trophies at the Etihad Stadium.

Liverpool had long wanted to sign Guehi, but it was Man City who got a deal done for the England international and persuaded him to leave Crystal Palace in the middle of the season instead of waiting for a free transfer elsewhere in the summer of 2026.

Latest Man Utd and Man City transfer news

Meanwhile, Man Utd interim-manager Michael Carrick wants to sign a Portuguese midfielder from West Ham United to play alongside Kobbie Mainoo, who will not leave the Red Devils in the middle of the season.

A report has claimed that former Man Utd winger Alejandro Garnacho is ready to leave Chelsea, just five months after switching from Old Trafford to Stamford Bridge.

And finally, Man City have been dealt a massive blow in their pursuit of a Liverpool midfielder, who is set to sign a new contract with the defending Premier League champions.