Record fee required! Elliot Anderson to top Declan Rice’s £105m high for a British player as leaders in Man City vs Man Utd transfer battle are revealed

Manchester City are leading the race to sign Anderson, with the Nottingham Forest midfielder leaning towards a move to Etihad Stadium instead of rivals Manchester United. According to the BBC, there is a growing expectation the 23-year-old will leave the City Ground this summer. United are unwilling to overpay or enter protracted negotiations. No deal has been struck between the clubs, and they remain far apart on their valuation. Anderson, who is contracted until 2029, has been immense, playing 50 games this season, amassing 4,168 minutes and scoring four goals. Following Sunday's 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, he received a standing ovation.

The required transfer fee could become a record for a British player and eclipse the £105m Arsenal paid West Ham for Rice. There is a sense at Forest that if there is a big sale this summer, it will be the young midfielder. A fine World Cup with England would put them in an even stronger bargaining position. Comparing the two stars, Rice has justified his massive value by contributing to Arsenal winning the Premier League title this season, registering 54 appearances and five goals. He is also preparing for the highly anticipated Champions League final against Paris on May 30, proving that astronomical fees for homegrown talents can yield ultimate success.

Forest manager Vitor Pereira acknowledged that Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White deserve "the top of the world". He would prefer to keep both, but the midfielder is more likely to leave, especially with no European football after they finished 16th in the Premier League. Pereira said: "I believe if we want to compete for different goals, we need to keep the best players. If not, if you change every season, it is difficult to be consistent and difficult to build something stronger. We cannot control the market, of course, but I think we are aligned; what I think and what the club thinks is to try to keep most of them and to try to control the market."

As negotiations progress, Manchester City will look to formalise their interest and bridge the valuation gap. Anderson must remain focused on maintaining his form ahead of the upcoming World Cup, which could further inflate his price tag. Whether Manchester United reignite their pursuit remains to be seen, but a record-breaking departure from Nottingham Forest seems inevitable in the coming months.