“His preferred choice”: United’s top target has made his position clear amid interest from noisy neighbours – report

Manchester United’s hunt for the perfect midfielder might have suffered a devastating blow if the latest report is to be believed. With Casemiro set to leave upon the expiration of his current deal and INEOS keen on offloading Manuel Ugarte, an elite defensive midfielder will be United’s priority when the transfer window opens. It has been well established that Nottingham Forest’s midfield enforcer, Elliot Anderson, is the Red Devils’ top target. His performances this season, despite his club’s travails, have caught the eye of plenty of Premier League clubs, with Manchester City emerging as United’s main competitors. Race on for Elliot Anderson There have been conflicting reports over the Englishman’s future, with certain outlets claiming City are in pole position while a few have reported that United are his most serious suitors. Now, The Mirror have claimed that the 23-year-old has made his mind up and he prefers a switch to the Etihad over playing at Old Trafford. City officials are confident of sealing an agreement for £65 million, whereas recent reports had stated Forest would be demanding £100 million at least for the England international. Jeremy Cross also contends that Elliot Anderson will leave irrespective of whether Forest survive relegation or not. Elliot Anderson makes his choice “Manchester City believe they have won the race to sign Elliot Anderson. City bosses made the England and Nottingham Forest midfielder one of their main summer targets. “And Etihad chiefs are confident of landing Anderson in a £65m deal. Anderson is a target of a host of clubs, including Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham. “But it’s understood City are in pole position to sign him. Anderson has let it be known that the Etihad is his preferred choice. And the 23-year-old is expected to leave Forest, irrespective of whether the club avoids relegation or not.” United cannot afford to feel too bad for themselves in case this turns out to be true. INEOS must move heaven and Earth to sign the next best option, Sandro Tonali of Newcastle. Other targets include Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba of Brighton. The 20-time English league champions are expected to sign more than one midfielder. Feature image Dan Istidene via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25