Exclusive: England Rising Star Elliot Anderson Draws ‘Big Six’ Attention Ahead of World Cup

Manchester United and Liverpool are prepared to battle Chelsea for Elliot Anderson’s services if the midfielder decides to exploit his emergence as an England regular by forcing a move to one of the Premier League’s traditional ‘Big Six.’

SportsBoom can exclusively reveal officials at Stamford Bridge are known to be tracking Nottingham Forest star Anderson’s progress as they look to ease the load on the likes of Moises Caiceco and Enzo Fernandez, who returned early from international duty with Argentina after sustaining an injury.

But SportsBoom understands that Blues boss Enzo Maresca is not the only leading manager to be impressed by the 22-year-old, with Ruben Amorim and Arne Slot also among an army of admirers which includes Three Lions chief Thomas Tuchel.

Anderson appears destined to feature at the upcoming World Cup in North America after winning his fourth senior cap during this week’s win over Latvia. 

All of those have been awarded since Tuchel’s appointment as Gareth Southgate’s successor and, given that the former Newcastle youngster’s value will skyrocket should he perform well at the tournament, Maresca’s employers are expected to test Forest’s resolve by submitting a bid during the January transfer window. 

TEMPTED 

That is also a tactic designed to steal a march on their top-flight rivals, who also believe Anderson could be tempted to leave the Midlands if his employers continue to flounder under Ange Postcoglou. 

The Australian has yet to win a game since being unveiled as Nuno Espirito Santo’s replacement at the City Ground earlier this term. 

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is a notoriously awkward negotiator. But, before Morgan Gibbs-White elected to remain at Forest over the summer rather than push through a move to Tottenham Hotspur, the Greek businessman did indicate that he was willing to sell for an inflated price. 

Given Anderson’s age and potential, he has still not reached 140 professional appearances, the price tag Marinakis would demand is unlikely to dissuade The Blues from pursuing their interest. 

Indeed, Anderson fits their recruitment profile perfectly having also featured for Newcastle at the highest level.

United’s ongoing challenge to comply with the PL and UEFA’s financial regulations could prevent them from seriously challenging Chelsea and Liverpool for Anderson’s signature. But Amorim will continue to keep a watching brief on his progress, as he looks to kickstart the Red Devils’ faltering campaign.