And there we have it. The 2025-26 European football season is in the books, capped by Paris Saint-Germain beating Arsenal in the Champions League final to defend their continental crown. Soon the past nine months or so will become distant memories, such is the speed at which the footballing world moves on, especially when major tournaments on the horizon.

Manchester City are preparing for a transformative summer as the post-Pep Guardiola era begins to take shape at the Etihad Stadium. While speculation has linked the Premier League champions with a blockbuster move for Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez, the club's recruitment hierarchy appears to have settled on a different primary target for their midfield engine room.

Elliot Anderson boasts enough potential to become “one of the very best”, Jack Colback has told GOAL, with the in-demand Nottingham Forest star considered to be an “old-fashioned” midfielder that is capable of doing a bit of everything. That skill set is said to be attracting admiring glances from Manchester, with City and United both mulling over the merits of a big-money transfer bid.

Manchester United are in the market for midfield reinforcements - amid links to the likes of Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Fede Valverde - with Eric Djemba-Djemba telling GOAL who the Red Devils’ “first choice” should be. Big money is set to be spent at Old Trafford this summer on acquiring a suitable replacement for the departing Casemiro.

Manchester City are currently leading rivals Manchester United in the intense race to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson. A potential transfer could break the record for a British player, eclipsing the £105 million ($141m) fee Arsenal paid for Declan Rice. With a fine World Cup coming up, Forest are preparing for a massive summer departure despite their desire to retain him.