Sky journalist: Man United expected to launch onslaught for ‘phenomenal’ £120m star

Nottingham Forest are reportedly anticipating a bidding war between Manchester United and Manchester City for Elliot Anderson.The 23-year-old has long cemented himself as one of the most exciting up-and-coming stars in the Premier League.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYThe England international has also been identified as Man Utd’s primary target to bolster the middle of the park.Forest expect Man United to move for Elliot AndersonEven though the likes of Sandro Tonali and Carlos Baleba continue to be linked with the Red Devils, Anderson is still considered by many reliable sources as the first name on Jason Wilcox’s shortlist.However, reports in the British press have also claimed that Man City might have the advantage in the race thanks to their superior spending power.Nevertheless, German journalist Florian Plettenberg believes the Cityzens could take an alternative route by extending Rodri’s contract, which could give the upper hand to Man Utd, who are expected to launch an attempt to sign the ‘phenomenal’ Anderson, at least according to Forest.“Forest expect Manchester United to remain seriously in the race for Elliot Anderson,” posted the Sky Sport DE journalist on his X account.“Manchester City have also registered their interest, although their current focus is on extending Rodri’s contract.”While United were hoping to drive down the astronomical asking price, Plettenberg reveals that Anderson could cost up to £120 million.“So far, no club has made direct contact with Forest. A fee in the region of £100-120 million is still being demanded.”Can Man Utd afford to sign Anderson?Anderson might be one of the finest midfielders in the country, but unless Forest continue to request a transfer fee north of £100 million, Man Utd could decide to take their business elsewhere.It should be remembered that INEOS need to sign at least two new midfielders in the summer (probably three if Manuel Ugarte is sold), not to mention addressing other departments.Therefore, spending £120 million on a single player could impede the rest of their market plans, hence why Wilcox and Co. are keeping tabs on more affordable alternatives, the likes of Alex Scott and Joao Gomes. Percentiles Duel% Poss won Prog carries Fwd passes Fwd pass% Key passes Prog passes Minutes Elliot Anderson 64.8 90.1 55.1 94.2 75.3 62.2 95.3 3041 Sandro Tonali 68.5 44.6 72.8 71.7 45.3 44.4 64.8 2276 Joao Gomes 71.5 94.9 77.9 56.4 68.2 25.8 41.8 2535 Alex Scott 71.3 76.4 76.6 36.0 17.8 34.1 29.6 2547 That being said, Anderson would be a statement signing from the Premier League giants, especially for what he represents in the Premier League. The stats above suggest that the Whittley Bay native has outperformed the club’s other midfield targets in the majority of metrics, making him the most well-rounded profile.Thus, it remains to be seen if the Man Utd officials will be able to strike a deal with Forest.