Manchester United's pursuit of Anderson becomes increasingly difficult! Requires £130 million plus £200,000 weekly salary, transfer only after the World Cup.

Manchester United's primary midfield transfer target for the summer window has consistently been Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson. However, they may not achieve their desired outcome, as not only does this 23-year-old England international prefer joining Manchester City, but his transfer fee and wages are also exceptionally high, exceeding the Red Devils' affordable range.

Manchester City is also interested in acquiring Anderson, because Bernardo Silva is confirmed to depart, and Rodri's future remains uncertain. With competing bids, Nottingham Forest aims to break the Premier League record for midfield player transfers, implying a £130 million fee. Currently, the highest transfer fee record in the Premier League is held by Liverpool's acquisition of Isak this season, costing £130 million.

If Nottingham Forest insists on this price, will both Manchester giants be willing to pay it? Manchester City's likelihood is higher; they have previously spent £100 million on players, whereas Manchester United has never reached that amount, with the club's highest purchase record still being Paul Pogba's £89 million.

Moreover, Anderson's current weekly salary at Nottingham Forest already exceeds £100,000, so top clubs must offer him an extremely high wage, believed to require over £200,000 per week. This is also a condition Manchester City is more likely to provide. Manchester United's owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is strictly controlling the wage bill, with new signings' base weekly salaries not exceeding £150,000.

Not only Manchester United and Manchester City, but several other major clubs have also contacted Nottingham Forest. However, Forest is currently focused solely on the season's final stages; they need Premier League survival and have the Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa, an internal Premier League clash!

Currently, no formal negotiations regarding Anderson's transfer have taken place. It is said Anderson has behaved impeccably, not agitating for a transfer, and he also needs to consider World Cup matters. Therefore, Anderson's deal likely will only conclude after the 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup, which also does not align with Manchester United's plans.

Regarding Manchester United's other midfield transfer candidates, The Athletic's authoritative transfer expert David Ornstein reminds fans not to overlook some less prominent players, such as Bournemouth's Alex Scott.

Newcastle United's Italian international Sandro Tonali is considered another hot prospect. Ornstein says: "Tonali attracts intense interest from many clubs, which has been extensively reported, and various rumors also indicate his agent team is keen to explore possibilities, but I think it remains unclear what will ultimately happen."

Ornstein continues analyzing: "We all know Wharton is highly praised, but Crystal Palace will certainly set an extremely high transfer fee for him; seeing if any club is willing to pay that fee will be interesting. For example, Manchester United views him as a secondary midfield transfer option, not the primary choice; the Red Devils' first choice would be Anderson or another player. Thus Manchester United may not pay a fee close to Crystal Palace's asking price. The same applies to Carlos Baleba."

He finally reminds: "There are other strong candidates who perhaps do not receive as much media attention as Baleba, such as Scott, but they should not be ignored. I believe in the coming weeks we will discuss them more."