Chelsea have reportedly joined Manchester United in the race to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, as per The Express.
Since Todd Boehly’s takeover, the Blues have splashed huge money to build a strong midfield department. They invested heavily in Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández, while Romeo Lavia was also an expensive acquisition.
Moreover, they have Andrey Santos and Dario Essugo. However, Lavia has continued to struggle with fitness problems, while Essugo has sustained an injury since joining this summer.
On the other hand, Santos is still young and needs time to develop. So, Enzo Maresca has used Reece James in the engine room at times, even though he is an RB by trait.
Now, The Express report that Chelsea are considering investing further to reinforce the midfield department and are ‘eager’ to purchase Anderson.
However, Manchester City are also in this race as Pep Guardiola is a huge admirer of him, having watched the midfielder closely in recent times. The Citizens want a new CDM as Rodri has continued to struggle with fitness problems, while Nico Gonzalez has found it difficult to break into Guardiola’s starting XI.
Battle
On the other hand, Man Utd are planning to revamp the midfield department next year and are keen on signing the Nottingham Forest star. So, the 22-year-old isn’t short of potential suitors at the moment.
Since moving to the City Ground from Newcastle United last year, Anderson has established himself as an undisputed starter, helping the Reds secure European football this season.
Having displayed impressive performances in the Premier League, Anderson has secured his place in Thomas Tuchel’s England national team and is looking all set to be a part of the Three Lions squad for next year’s World Cup.
Anderson, valued at around £28m by Transfermarkt, is an all-round player as he is capable of playing as a deep-lying playmaker and is good at defensive contributions.
He has been showcasing signs that he could become a world-class midfielder in the future. So, he would be a great coup for Chelsea or Man Utd should either club eventually manage to secure his services next year.
