Report: Man United insiders believe they can deal a big blow to Man City with a move

Manchester United are reportedly reasonably confident of signing top target Elliott Anderson ahead of rivals Manchester City.

Download the official CaughtOffSide app to get all the latest news and updates straight to your phone. above apple & Google play

The 23-year-old Nottingham Forest midfielder is likely to be in demand this summer and is one of several players Man United are eyeing in midfield.

The Red Devils also like Adam Wharton and Carlos Bareva, but Anderson is probably the name that stands out there, according to ESPN.

The newspaper reports that while Anderson also has strong links with Man City, there is a belief within Old Trafford that he could be persuaded to join Man City.

How Elliott Anderson became one of the Premier League’s best midfielders

Anderson has impressed as one of the Premier League’s top midfield players this season, despite playing for a struggling Forest side.

See below for a helpful illustration of how much he deserves to be in the same conversation as the league’s other elite midfielders…

Anderson is impressively stable and balanced, and his statistics show how good he is at winning the ball back and distributing it forward with progressive passing.

He is also very close to Man City’s Rodri when it comes to forward passing, and doesn’t seem like a player with any major weaknesses.

Elliot Anderson is ideal for Manchester United

It’s no surprise that MUFC are eyeing Anderson, who ticks all the boxes to score very high on the Transfer Fit rating system (read more about how it works here)…

Anderson could be key to rebuilding United’s midfield with Casemiro set to leave at the end of his contract, while an ESPN report also casts doubt on Manuel Ugarte’s future.

If they can win the race for this quality signing ahead of City, it would be some kind of statement of intent as the club looks to get back into serious title contenders.