Manchester City have seen a second bid for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson rejected, with the latest offer reported to be worth a total of £120m.
Forest are playing hardball in negotiations, turning down two separate offers from City as the club firmly resist selling one of their key players.
Despite the impasse, one source close to the situation confirmed that Anderson remains City’s primary transfer target heading into the summer window.
“Anderson is City’s priority, they want to get this deal done, and he wants the move,” the source told CaughtOffside, adding that City have other options and would walk away if Forest won’t relax their stance.
Manchester United had also been linked with Anderson, but with Forest’s valuation climbing to those levels, the Red Devils have shifted their attention elsewhere.
The Times now reports that United are leading the race to sign West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes for a fee in the region of £80m, representing a significant statement of intent.
This follows news from BBC Sport that an agreement is already in place for United to sign Ederson from Atalanta, making it a strong start to the summer for the club.
With Ederson and potentially Fernandes arriving at Old Trafford, it appears increasingly unlikely that United will revisit interest in Carlos Baleba, despite the Brighton midfielder having existing personal term agreements with the club from last year.
Baleba’s dip in form is understood to have cooled United’s interest considerably, and a third midfield signing would be hard to justify if both Ederson and Fernandes deals are completed.
Tottenham have previously been linked with Baleba, though that interest has yet to advance meaningfully, although the appointment of former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi could yet reignite those conversations.
Meanwhile, Sandro Tonali remains a name generating significant interest, with both Arsenal and Manchester City understood to be monitoring the Newcastle midfielder’s situation closely.
City’s pursuit of Tonali could intensify if the Anderson deal ultimately collapses, given the substantial cost Forest are demanding for their prized asset.
Adam Wharton has admirers at Liverpool, while Alex Scott’s stock has risen sharply in recent weeks, with the midfielder reportedly discussed internally at at least five leading Premier League clubs.
One of the more intriguing subplots concerns Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, who has made clear his desire to leave Stamford Bridge, with Real Madrid understood to hold serious interest in the Argentina international.
Chelsea currently plan to keep Fernandez and are not looking to make changes in midfield, but a significant bid from Madrid could force the club’s hand and dramatically reshape the wider market.
Should Fernandez depart, it would push Tonali, Wharton, and Scott further up Chelsea’s list of targets as they seek a replacement of comparable quality.
Real Madrid’s summer planning is still being finalised amid work on confirming the appointment of Jose Mourinho as manager, meaning any formal approach for Fernandez may still be some weeks away.
The summer midfielder market remains fluid, with several of the biggest deals yet to reach any definitive conclusion as clubs navigate overlapping interests and escalating valuations.
