Credit: Imago

Evan Lloyd

Mon 18 May 2026 11:30, UK

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Elliot Anderson was in unbelievable form as Nottingham Forest were beaten 3-2 by Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Luke Shaw, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo all scored for the home side, cancelling out goals from Morato and Morgan Gibbs-White.

The clash was seen by many as a potential audition for Anderson, who has been heavily linked with both Manchester clubs ahead of this summer.

If the 23-year-old was being put to the test, he stepped up massively, putting in a fantastic performance that saw him leave with two assists.

Nottingham Forest transfer chiefs have been braced for interest in Anderson this summer, with any potential move expected to cost in the region of a British transfer record.

Elliot Anderson’s mind-blowing stats vs Manchester United

Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider last week that Nottingham Forest could make a £90million profit by selling Anderson.

The midfielder is attracting huge interest this summer and looks certain to start for England at the World Cup, with any move likely to come after.

Just last week, Man United captain Bruno Fernandes expressed his sadness at Declan Rice’s decision to go to Arsenal in 2024.

Anderson appears to be a talent of that level, and decision-makers at Old Trafford will not want to let the same mistake happen again.

Especially if they were watching on Sunday, with the 23-year-old in extraordinary form. His two assists came from superb crosses, with the first put on a plate for Morato.

But there was so much more to Anderson’s performance. He completed three dribbles, four crosses and four long balls, winning three free-kicks on the day.

His defensive work, as usual, was also highly impressive. The Nottingham Forest man completed three tackles, two blocks, four interceptions and an astonishing nine recoveries, winning most of his duels, too.

It was a special display from a special player, who must be high on Man United’s list if they are to make progress.

What Michael Carrick said on Anderson

Michael Carrick has been in charge of Man United on an interim basis since January, when Ruben Amorim was sacked.

The Englishman has done a fine job and will take the job permanently, with an official announcement expected in the coming days.

Among his first tasks will be convincing Anderson to join his team over Man City, who may also have a new manager.

Speaking before Sunday’s game, Carrick said: “Yeah, he’s done well. I think he’s a big part of their team.

“I think he offers so much and they’ve got a really talented team and dangerous team. So they’ve had a good season to get to the [Europa League] semi-finals and just fall short. But yeah, you can see obviously he is an important part of their team.”