Man United were ready to make stunning concession to sign Elliot Anderson

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The Peoples Person

3 July 2026

Manchester United

were reportedly prepared to make an extraordinary concession to win the race for England midfielder

Elliot Anderson

Heading into the summer window, United had earmarked

Anderson

as their priority midfield target. However, it became increasingly clear that cross-town rivals Manchester City were also in the running for his signature.

The Nottingham Forest man prioritised a move to City over United, although this did not fully deter the Red Devils.

United, however, quickly retreated from the chase once the scale of the financial commitment became apparent. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was minded to obtain a guaranteed fee that eclipsed the £125m that Liverpool paid to land Alexander Isak from Newcastle last summer.

With Carrick’s squad requiring at least two, perhaps three, new midfielders this summer, they are simply not in a position to channel that much of their budget into one player.

City eventually agreed a deal with Forest for Anderson.

City will pay £116m

for the 23-year-old, who is set to earn a massive £300k per week at the Etihad.

Now,

The Athletic

report that United were ready to offer Anderson future captaincy in an attempt to lure him to Old Trafford.

The news outlet reveals, “Manchester United enquired and even discussed the prospect of making Anderson captain at some point in the future.”

“United saw him as having that kind of leadership ability in the years to come, albeit no guarantees were made and he would have had to deliver on the pitch.”

“But in the end, they decided the transfer fee involved was more than they wanted to pay.”

United have also missed out on Mateus Fernandes, whose arrival at rival Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur was recently announced.

Other targets believed to be on United’s radar include Carlos Baleba (Brighton & Hove Albion), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace) and Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille).

United struck an agreement with Atalanta for Ederson, whose move will officially get over the line after Brazil’s involvement in the World Cup.

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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