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A new report has revealed that Manchester City are currently ‘ahead of’ Manchester United in the pursuit of Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, with three main factors giving them an advantage.

Anderson has swiftly risen to become one of the top central midfielders in the Premier League and is expected to start for England in this summer’s World Cup.

The Nottingham Forest star has been outstanding over the last two Premier League seasons, but the club now faces the challenge of keeping hold of him during the upcoming transfer window.

The 23-year-old has emerged as a prime target for multiple Premier League teams this summer, with Manchester City and Manchester United showing the strongest interest in securing his signature.

Both clubs are looking to strengthen their midfields by recruiting a long-term replacement for their current defensive midfield anchors, Rodri at City and Casemiro at United.

Despite interest from several sides, reports for some time have suggested that Manchester City remain the frontrunners to land Anderson. It was even claimed a few days ago that an ‘agreement’ might already have been reached between City and Nottingham Forest.

However, according to a new report by BBC Sport journalist Nick Mashiter, while no agreement is yet in place, Manchester City remain ‘ahead of’ Manchester United in the race for Anderson’s signature.

There is reportedly a ‘growing expectation’ that Anderson will depart Forest this summer, with City leading the chase owing to the player’s preference for a move to the Etihad Stadium and two additional contributing factors.

The report further notes: ‘United are unwilling to overpay, or get drawn into protracted negotiations. No deal has been struck between Forest and City and the clubs are far apart on their valuation for the 23-year-old, meaning the situation could still change.’

Earlier this week, The Telegraph offered more insight into Nottingham Forest’s transfer strategy, indicating their intent to secure a ‘record’ fee from Anderson’s possible sale.

The report stated: ‘Forest will now prepare for the summer and are determined to keep the core of their squad intact. This stance is supported by Marinakis and Pereira. There is an understanding that Elliot Anderson will attract significant interest and could be sold. Manchester City and Manchester United are both heavily interested, and a strong World Cup performance from the midfielder could draw additional major clubs into the battle. However, Forest will only sell him at full market value, with Marinakis using Moisés Caicedo’s £115 million transfer from Brighton to Chelsea in August 2023 as a benchmark. This means Anderson could surpass the current transfer record for an English player, which was set by Declan Rice’s £105 million move nearly three years ago.’