Paul Scholes demands United put Man City to the sword in red-hot race for “elite” midfield maestro

Paul Scholes has urged Manchester United to beat their noisy neighbours at the Etihad to the signing of midfield maestro Elliot Anderson. Best in Class Anderson has established himself as one of the finest operators in the Premier League since joining Nottingham Forest from Newcastle United in 2024. While the £35 million fee felt like a large outlay for a relatively unproven player, the deal will go down as one of the best pieces of business in recent years. Anderson is set to play a key role for England at the World Cup this summer. Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel has described him as an “elite footballer”. The 23-year-old midfielder, capable of playing as the No.6 or No.8 due to the breadth of his skillset, has single-handedly kept Forest afloat at times this season. The Tricky Trees flirted with relegation as four different managers took charge at the City Ground in a turbulent campaign. Had they been unable to stave off the drop, the price for Anderson might have dropped with them. However, Portuguese tactician Vitor Pereira has guided them towards safety and, with it, ensured controversial chairman Evangelos Marinakis will be able to command top dollar for his prized asset. United are joined by Manchester City in the hunt for Anderson’s signature this summer, though Pep Guardiola’s side are understood to be the frontrunners. A price tag of around £100 million has been floated, but Forest may look to use this rivalry to demand a British transfer record for a midfielder. Nonetheless, former United midfielder Scholes believes this may be a price worth paying, urging the “Red Devils to swoop in for Anderson” in an interview with talkSPORT. Scholes makes his case “I really liked [Anderson] when he was at Newcastle,” Scholes stated. “Newcastle had to sell him, didn’t they, with the PSR and that kind of stuff. But yeah, what I’ve seen of him has been nothing short of brilliant, really. “What he’s done for Forest has really been Europa League. He’s still got to go to that next level and he’s done it with England. England games are very hard to gauge really because I don’t think they’re playing the best competition until they get to the World Cup. “When bigger games come, then we’ll get a better idea and he will still have to test himself in the Champions League. But he looks to me like he’d be able to handle it. Absolutely no problem.” The legendary midfielder, who knows a thing or two about pulling the strings at Old Trafford, does not think Anderson will be enough, however, affirming “two will be needed” to bolster United’s engine room. But he believes the Forest talisman would strike up a complementary partnership with Kobbie Mainoo at the heart of United’s side: “Anderson and Mainoo, I think I’d be happy with that for the start of next season.” Final Thoughts There are few players in Europe with the skillset capable of filling the void Casemiro‘s departure will create at the end of the season – and even fewer not already plying their trade for a top club. Anderson possesses a unique blend of physical and technical qualities, paired with an unrelenting work rate and Premier League pedigree. He is also understood to have emerged as a key leader in Forest’s dressing room this season. There is a reason a bidding war in the region of £100 million or more is set to erupt between the two Manchester rivals this summer. The Red Devils must listen to their former maestro and go all out to win the red-hot race for his signature. 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 Darragh Fox Darragh is an editor for The Peoples Person who spent three years learning about the Cold War at the University of Sheffield slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about. Amad’s first touch should be officially recognised as the eighth wonder of the world.