Manchester United and Manchester City aim to sign Anderson before the World Cup! Nottingham Forest dismisses the idea, stating any offer below a billion is futile.

British media assert that both Manchester United and Manchester City hope to accelerate their efforts to sign 23-year-old England international Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. They fear that if Anderson performs well in the 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup, his transfer fee could rise further.

If a deal is to be completed before the World Cup, it means negotiations must be finalized before the summer transfer window opens on June 15, when the England squad will already be in Dallas, USA, preparing for their World Cup journey. Tuchel's team will face Croatia in their first match on June 17.

The final round of the Premier League season takes place on May 24, so there is only about half a month left to sign Anderson before the World Cup. Manchester United managed this last summer, announcing the signing of Brazilian forward Cunha on June 1. However, that was because Cunha's contract with Wolves included a £62.5 million release clause.

Moreover, the simplistic logic of Manchester's two giants wanting to secure Anderson before his price rises due to the tournament is rather laughable, ignoring the seller's perspective. Why would Nottingham Forest rush to sell Anderson before the World Cup when they know he could be worth more afterward?

The only plausible scenario is if Forest relegates to the Championship, which might trigger a clause forcing them to lower Anderson's asking price. However, there is currently no information suggesting such a contractual provision exists.

Regarding numerous rumors centered on big clubs, according to The Daily Telegraph, Nottingham Forest dismisses them. With the 23-year-old Anderson essentially securing a starting spot for England, Forest now firmly believes his valuation must exceed £100 million.

Today, £100 million has become the baseline starting price for world-class midfielders: Declan Rice moved to Arsenal for £105 million, Enzo Fernández joined Chelsea for £106.8 million, and his teammate Moisés Caicedo's transfer fee reached £115 million.

Although transfer journalist Ben Jacobs claims that Anderson's contract with Nottingham Forest includes a special clause allowing him to move to a Champions League club for a relatively reasonable fee, potentially not reaching the rumored £100-120 million range.

German transfer expert Christian Falk even stated that €80 million (£70 million) would suffice. However, the multitude of clubs interested in Anderson could render this clause ineffective.

Nottingham Forest owner Marinakis is not easy to deal with and is certainly not a weak target. Last year, Manchester City and Tottenham faced difficulties when trying to sign another England international, Morgan Gibbs-White. Gibbs-White had a £60 million release clause, but it only applied to clubs ranked below Forest, so Manchester City's £80 million offer was rejected.

Tottenham, leveraging their "advantage" of being ranked 16th, activated the clause and reached an agreement with the player. Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano even announced "here we go," but Forest deployed legal teams, accusing Tottenham of improperly contacting the player and unlawfully obtaining contract details. Tottenham ultimately failed, and Gibbs-White renewed his contract.

Therefore, any club dreaming of acquiring Anderson at a low price may be just dreaming. Anderson himself is not eager to resolve his future before the World Cup and has not yet negotiated with any club. It is widely believed that Anderson prefers joining Manchester City, but Manchester United hasn't given up their pursuit. Anderson posting a photo with Kobbie Mainoo during the international break has given the Red Devils hope.