Ornstein says Man Utd & Chelsea want £100m star but explains why Arsenal aren’t pursuing transfer

David Ornstein has provided the latest transfer information on Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, whom he expects to be a target for the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea this summer.

The Athletic journalist, speaking in the video clip below, says he thinks it’s highly unlikely Forest will sell Anderson in January, and in general there’s no appetite from them to sell their star midfield player.

Still, the England international has plenty of interest from all the big clubs, apart from Arsenal, due to them already having a lot of options in midfield.

See below for details as Ornstein discusses the Anderson situation and explains that he looks set to cost possibly £100m or more in the summer…

“All the top clubs like him, and most of them will be in the mix, maybe with the exception of Arsenal — they’re the ones with a full midfield.

“Nottingham Forest have zero appetite to trade him right now. The summer is a different story — every player has their price.

“We’re… pic.twitter.com/zFI4yVtC6b

— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) January 9, 2026

Anderson has shone for Forest this season and it’s easy to imagine him being a good fit for the likes of City, United and Chelsea for many years to come.

Anderson’s style of play could make him an ideal long-term replacement for Rodri at the Etihad Stadium, but he’d also be an ideal statement signing to help take this Man Utd project forward.

Chelsea also tend to build around the best young players, so Anderson could do well to go there, perhaps as an upgrade on the inconsistent Enzo Fernandez.

In truth, one imagines Arsenal could perhaps even find room for him as they lack depth behind their first-choice midfield pairing of Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi.

It will certainly be interesting to see how this all plays out, but Anderson is clearly going to be very expensive and that will make it a challenge for whoever decides to push for his signature.

See the graphic above for how Anderson compares to other midfielders currently at the clubs tracking him.

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