Man United prepare for £100m battle with Newcastle to sign “elite player”

Manchester United are in the process of a rebuild to re-establish themselves as serious contenders in the Premier League and beyond.

The Red Devils have been on a rollercoaster ride over the last decade and are now desperate for some consistency and stability both on and off the pitch.

Ruben Amorim is the sixth permanent appointment to take on the challenging managerial role since Sir Alex Ferguson retired back in 2013, and although it hasn’t been easy, he has the full backing of his superiors.

Man United are currently seventh in the Premier League table after 11 outings, with five wins, three draws and three defeats, but there is still a long way to go to establish themselves in the European spots.

The summer transfer window saw Bryan Mbuemo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko join the project at Old Trafford, with the attacking trio already making a positive impact.

However, the future of the midfield remains a constant question and planning for the long term will be essential for Amorim to achieve success and bring trophies back to the red side of Manchester.

The Mirror reported last week that Man United were in the market to sign two midfielders next summer, with Brighton and Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson named as top targets.

Now, a report from The Telegraph yesterday has further confirmed the interest in Anderson, but also revealed that they will face competition from Newcastle United.

The publication claims that Forest have slapped an eye-watering £100m price tag on their star player, and there will be no chance of a January sale under any circumstances.

There is no doubt that Anderson has become one of the hottest prospects in the Premier League since flourishing in his role on Trentside after being sold by Newcastle.

The talented 23-year-old has seen his performances for Forest rewarded on the international stage, with new England boss Thomas Tuchel taking a shine to the midfielder.

The ex-Chelsea boss gave Anderson his senior debut back in September, and he has since become a key player in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers for England, with huge potential to be part of the squad heading to the USA next summer.

As a result, it is no wonder that his recent progression has attracted the interest of Man United, but having Newcastle in their way could make things challenging when trying to get a deal done.

Born in Whitley Bay, Anderson – once hailed as an “elite player” by Tuchel – is a boyhood Newcastle fan, coming through their academy to become a first-team option for Eddie Howe.

While there is an argument that Newcastle did sell on their talented youth product, their hands were tied in a situation where they faced PSR issues if they did not offload players that were surplus to requirements.

Howe has frequently lavished praise on Anderson and expressed his frustrations at having to sanction the sale, while also claiming that he would love for him to return to St James’ Park.

For that reason, the Red Devils will potentially have the strongest competition possible in Newcastle to secure Anderson’s signature next summer.

Whether Newcastle could afford Forest’s £100m valuation is another consideration, but either way, the situation surrounding Anderson’s future will be interesting to watch evolve ahead of the World Cup in 2026.

Rebekka Arnold is an experienced writer with a strong background in digital media, PR and football journalism.

Since 2021, Rebekka has written opinion pieces and match reaction content for Football Fancast, part of the Snack Media network, building on her growing presence in the football community through viral Twitter content and podcasting.

Now at Transfer Tavern, Rebekka brings her sharp eye for analysis and deep passion for the game to deliver engaging football opinion and breaking transfer news content.