Chelsea are reportedly increasing their interest in Nottingham Forest central midfielder Elliott Anderson, but they may have to make a big sale first.
The England international is wanted by both Manchester United and Manchester City, and it can be revealed that Chelsea are also scouting him.
As first reported in my Daily Briefing exclusive, Chelsea have carried out “extensive” scouting for Anderson this season and, unsurprisingly, they like what they see.
Is it realistic for Chelsea to sign Elliott Anderson?
But it’s clear Forest have no intention of selling Anderson for anything other than huge sums of money, so that could mean Chelsea need to sell first.
There’s also no doubt that the Blues currently don’t have room for Anderson in their squad, which would likely mean selling Enzo Fernandes.
However, my sources claim that there is currently no indication that Chelsea are looking to let Fernandes go, even though there has been some speculation about him in the past.
Why Elliott Anderson is wanted by Chelsea and other top clubs
Anderson has recently been described by manager Thomas Tuchel as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, and the numbers back that up.
See below how the 23-year-old’s key metrics compare to the likes of Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo…
Anderson could possibly be an upgrade to Fernandes at Chelsea, but he would probably be better off somewhere like United where he could be given a more prominent role.
The Red Devils appear to need him more now, but Chelsea could be another team to keep an eye on as well.
Koby Mainu is also a target for Chelsea in this position, but sources say the west London giants could invest even more heavily in the player.
