Manchester United will look to add a midfielder in the summer and, after considering Carlos Baleba recently, Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson is now on their radar
Manchester United could turn their attention to Nottingham Forest ace Elliot Anderson as they look to add a central midfielder to their squad - but the England star could cost as much as £120million.
The Red Devils were keen on adding more quality in the middle of the park back in the summer but ultimately ran out of cash, putting it on the back burner. Carlos Baleba emerged as a target following his stellar efforts with Brighton.
A move was always deemed unrealistic and the player remained at the Amex, but United have a number of midfielders they are tracking with Anderson among them. Newcastle are also keen on the midfielder, who came through their academy before he was sold for PSR reasons.
Anderson has since thrived at the City Ground, becoming one of their top performers. He was part of the triumphant England U21 side at the summer's Euros and has been named in several senior squads with World Cup involvement on the horizon.
Sky in Germany report that Anderson has no release clause, putting Forest in a strong negotiating position. They want somewhere between £100m-£120m if they are to sell their midfielder. That would be a club-record fee for either United or Newcastle.
Anderson only cost Forest £35m but at 22 has his prime years ahead of him. He would also help fill the homegrown quota, making him a more attractive proposition. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has confessed that his exit still irks him and he'd welcome him back with open arms.
The midfielder's value could further skyrocket if he excels at the World Cup across North America next summer. Ruben Amorim is currently playing with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes as his preferred midfield duo, but pundits believe both players have flaws in that position.
Fernandes is having to play in a deeper role, limiting how much influence he can have in the final third. Casemiro is now into his 30s and, despite some impressive weeks, critics have claimed he lacks the stamina to get round the pitch effectively.
Thomas Tuchel is a clear admirer of Anderson having given him England opportunities and recently lauded the qualities possessed by the Forest ace.
“He’s just a very, very good football player," he said. "He has the physicality, he’s very mobile at No 6. He has the body, he loves to defend, he loves to put his body inside to duels. He loves passing, he loves to break the lines, he’s very mobile in this game. It was a pleasure to see."