Manchester United will not get into a bidding war with Manchester City for Elliot Anderson as the club look to bolster their midfield this summer, sources have told ESPN.
United have tracked Anderson for a while and made the 23-year-old one of their top targets ahead of the midfield rebuild in the next transfer window.
However, sources have told ESPN that Nottingham Forest are quoting around £120 million ($162m) for the England international, who is also wanted by Manchester City.
United have money to spend this summer, but believe the asking price for Anderson is vastly inflated and are reluctant to get into a battle with City which could drive up the fee.
According to sources, United hope to cover the cost of their top midfield signing with funds raised through departures — potentially between £80m and £90m — to leave the bulk of the transfer budget available to sign another midfielder, a left winger and possibly a centre-back or full-back.
Forest, meanwhile, believe their valuation of Anderson is fair given he is set to play a key role for England at the World Cup and is under contract at the City Ground until 2029.
The valuation is partly based on Moisés Caicedo‘s move from Brighton to Chelsea for £115 million ($155m) in 2023.
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Sources have told ESPN that United are also keen to stick to their new salary structure this summer.
High earners like Casemiro, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho are all set to leave and club bosses want to keep the wage bill manageable.
United, according to sources, believed they were well-positioned to sign Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth in January, but cooled their interest once the winger’s representatives met with Manchester City to discuss personal terms.
If Anderson proves out of reach, United have other midfield targets including Carlos Baleba, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Sandro Tonali.
There has been no formal contact with Atalanta over a deal for Éderson, but sources have told ESPN that Atlético Madrid have been in touch with the Serie A side over a potential deal.
