Man City have agreed a deal to sign midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest in the summer transfer window.
A recent photo taken of Elliot Anderson shows him holding a cricket bat at England’s training camp in Kansas City. Anderson has looked relaxed in the United States, but it would have been impossible for him not to be slightly distracted by his future, which has finally been decided.
Manchester City have claimed the wicket by agreeing a fee of £116million, although that figure has been disputed by sources connected to Nottingham Forest, who have suggested the deal is worth £130m.
Manchester United effectively pulled out of the race to sign Anderson when City’s opening, lofty bid was rejected due to the cost involved. They have since moved on to alternative targets.
United CEO Omar Berrada warned United would move away from targets if the financials didn’t make sense. “We have to be really disciplined, it’s simple. We have a plan, we know what we can invest, and we have to stick to that,” he said on the club’s in-house podcast.
“In some cases, we may decide to make an investment knowing it’s the right thing for not just the next two or three years, but the next 10 years. But clearly, we need to stay very focused on what we’re trying to achieve. It’s very important that you don’t let the market or the agents dictate.”
Anderson is a brilliant player, so he would have been an excellent signing to replace Casemiro, but United cannot be blamed for stepping back from a deal that will see him become the most expensive British player of all time.
The other reason to step away from Anderson, besides the cost involved, was that Mateus Fernandes was viewed as an attainable, quality alternative, with his data from last season comparing well.
Fernandes won more tackles and made more accurate switches of play. He wasn’t far behind Anderson on ground duels won, possessions won, and possessions won in the defensive third.
United sensed an opportunity to sign Fernandes for a fair transfer fee following West Ham’s relegation, but Tottenham have come to the table, a move that has been met with glee from those in the London Stadium boardroom.
Tottenham will put United in a difficult position if they are willing to meet West Ham’s asking price of £85m, which is more than United were hoping to spend on the 21-year-old.
Although United want to remain disciplined in the market, they have to pay up at some stage to avoid missing out on their top targets. The question is: is Fernandes worth a bid of around £85m?
The new financial year for clubs is a week away, meaning cards are about to be played, so it would be a surprise if there wasn’t a meaningful update on Fernandes’ future by this time next week.
It will be fascinating to see how much United are prepared to offer considering Berrada’s warning. United pulled out of the race for Anderson at an early stage, but they may have no choice but to hang in there with Fernandes.
United have a list of midfield alternatives, players who the data department admire, but the further the club works down that list, the lower quality the player is, theoretically. United know they need to cough up at some stage.
The Reds are prepared to spend on a marquee midfield signing, so supporters should not be concerned, but the message from behind the scenes has been consistent: the deal has to be fair value.
The cost involved with Anderson reached a level that United were not comfortable with. If Tottenham are serious about meeting West Ham’s valuation of Fernandes, how United react will be a true test of their disciplined approach.
An £85m fee would historically get you more than a player who has back-to-back relegations on his CV. Fernandes is a talent, and his ceiling is yet to be reached, but that sort of fee highlights the inflation in today’s market.
United could be tempted to look further afield for better value. Germany international Felix Nmecha is on the club’s radar, and Borussia Dortmund have shown a willingness to sell key players in the past.
In an ideal world, United would have had a clear run at Anderson, and would have signed him for a reasonable fee, but the transfer market is never straightforward. The only thing guaranteed is twists and turns.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login