Man City 'leading' Man Utd in transfer race for England international midfielder this summer

Manchester City have reportedly moved ahead of Manchester United in the race for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson.

The 23-year-old is preparing for a massive summer in North America with England, who are looking to end their 60-year trophy drought by winning the World Cup for the first time.

Anderson is expected to line up in Thomas Tuchel's starting XI alongside Declan Rice, fresh from winning the Premier League title at Arsenal.

There are plenty of trophy winners around the England squad, including in attack in the form of Aston Villa marksman Ollie Watkins.

The Forest man could feature for the Three Lions during their first warm-up match against New Zealand on June 6.

© Imago / SOPA Images

Man City lead Man Utd in Anderson chase?

According to BBC Sport, Manchester City have moved ahead of Manchester United in the race for Forest hero Anderson this summer.

The report claims that the 23-year-old is leaning towards a switch to the Etihad Stadium ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

It is understood that Man Utd are unwilling to pay over the odds for Anderson, who has impressed massively in the Premier League this term.

Forest and Man City are still miles away in terms of a valuation for the player, meaning that discussions could drag on.

It is believed that Anderson could be sold for a British record, surpassing the £105m that Arsenal paid for Rice from West Ham United in 2023.

© Iconsport / SPP Sport Press Photo

World Cup potential

Anderson is essentially a shoo-in for the spot alongside Rice for England this summer, with group games against Croatia, Ghana and Panama scheduled.

Should the 23-year-old have a good tournament, you would expect his valuation to rise even further.

This could - in theory - knock Man Utd out of the race, allowing Man City to secure their target late in the summer.