Man Utd face paying £100m to sign top midfield target Elliot Anderson as club make decision on Casemiro's contract situation

Anderson has established himself as one of the Premier League's best young midfielders. His form for Forest has seen him start five of the past six England games; in the space of a few months the 23-year-old has gone from a surprise call-up at the start of the season, to an almost-guaranteed member of Thomas Tuchel's squad for next summer's World Cup.

That promise has caught the attention of United, who are in need of options in the middle of the park. Despite a recent uptick in form, the Old Trafford club are unlikely to hand Casemiro a new contract, or trigger the one-year option in the Brazilian's contract. The 33-year-old is expected to pursue a lucrative deal in Saudi Arabia once his deal in Manchester runs out.

The Timesreports that United will wait until the summer to make an approach for Anderson, as they believe Forest would not entertain an offer during the ongoing Premier League season. 

The Red Devils will face stiff competition in their pursuit of the holding midfielder. Anderson's boyhood club Newcastle are rumoured to be interested in re-signing the player. The Magpies were compelled into selling the 23-year-old in the summer of 2024 for a fee of £35m ($47m) to avoid a points deduction under  the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability regulations. 

Since leaving Tyneside, Anderson has gone from strength-to-strength, making 48 Premier League appearances for Forest. 

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe addressed those rumours in a recent press conference, admitting he would "love" to have Anderson back at St. James Park. 

Howe said: "I don’t know (if the move will happen), but certainly from my perspective I would love him to. 

“It is very regretful a player from the academy who had given so much - and the club had given so much to - for him not to be utilised here is a real shame. We had no choice but to make the sale, but it was not one we wanted to do. It didn’t sit right with me then and doesn’t sit right with me today."

The ex-Bournemouth gaffer admitted the club knew they had sold Anderson at a significant discount. He said: "We knew the minute it was going to happen, or likely to happen, that we were massively selling him at a big discount. It was that or a points deduction. We had no choice but to make the sale."

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United's arch rivals Liverpool are also believed to be tracking the Forest midfielder. The Reds spent big in the summer, but investing heavily in their attacking stocks and heading into the season with Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch as their clear first choice tandem in the heart of midfield. The Reds have also repeatedly been linked with Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton. 

Central midfield is clear point of emphasis for the Red Devils going forward. They have also been linked with a summer move for Palace's Wharton, while they saw their advances for Brighton's Carlos Baleba rebuffed in the summer, as they failed to meet the Seagulls' £100m evaluation. Reports at the time suggested the Old Trafford club will test Brighton's resolve again. 

Casemiro's departure opens up one starting spot in Ruben Amorim's side, however, signing another young midfielder could free up captain Bruno Fernandes to start in a more attacking position. With Kobbie Mainoo still struggling for game time in the heart of midfield, the Red Devils pursuit of Anderson could be the start of a complete overhaul of Amorim's engine room going forward.