Elliot Anderson: Newcastle setback opens door for Man United to seal deal for midfielder | OneFootball

Manchester United have been handed a major boost in their bid to snap up Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson after a major update involving Newcastle.

United keen on Anderson

Over the past few months, Anderson has emerged as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. He leads the charts in a number of metrics and was a key pillar behind Forest’s success under Nuno Espirito Santo last season.

Forest’s form has taken a slight dip this term but Anderson’s levels remain high. This has put him on the radar of a number of top clubs, with United believed to be one of them.

United are planning a midfield overhaul next summer and Anderson features highly on their list alongside the likes of Carlos Baleba (Brighton and Hove Albion) and Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace). A report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that Anderson is open to joining United. Forest don’t want to sell him and have slapped a hefty £100m price tag on his head.

The other club being strongly linked with a move for Anderson is his former team, Newcastle.

Anderson came through the ranks at Newcastle but was sold last summer as part of Newcastle’s efforts to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.

The 23-year-old was an option for Eddie Howe but found himself behind more established stars such as Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton in the pecking order.

According to Craig Hope of the Daily Mail, Anderson would likely not hesitate to return to St James’ Park but the Magpies’ chances of winning the race for his signature are slim.

Anderson to Newcastle update

Hope states, “This might not be what Newcastle fans want to hear, but my information is that the chances are fairly low. Would there be a desire from Eddie Howe and Wilson to explore the possibility?”

“Yes, absolutely. Howe never wanted to sell Anderson and Wilson was part of the transfer team at Nottingham Forest who bought the midfielder in the summer of 2024, for what was, in effect, just £15million.”

The newspaper notes that there are two reasons Newcastle will not sign Anderson. First, there is the mega fee it will take to snap him up. The Tyneside outfit simply aren’t in a position to fork out excessive sums on one player.

Secondly, Anderson is expected to have his pick of clubs, which is likely to include teams that are in a far better position than Newcastle. United and Manchester City are named as two parties poised to try and sign him.

With Newcastle almost certainly out of the running for Anderson, United have a clear path to go on and add Anderson to their ranks.

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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