Sir Jim Ratcliffe Supports Wage Increase as United Re-Enter Elliot Anderson Race
Manchester United’s midfield rebuild has taken another twist. Just when it looked like Elliot Anderson was heading down the Etihad road or staying put at the City Ground, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has dragged United back into the fight.
The message from the Ineos chief is clear: if Anderson is the man they want, his wage demands will not be the problem.
Ratcliffe’s Green Light
United had appeared to step away from the Anderson chase. Nottingham Forest’s £100million valuation, coupled with strong, early interest from Manchester City, forced Old Trafford to look at cheaper, cleaner deals.
Ederson of Atalanta became the priority. United moved quickly, closing a £38m agreement for the Brazilian, who is tipped to be a late World Cup call-up. That signing was supposed to reshape their midfield plans, the first major piece in a summer puzzle.
Yet the Anderson story refuses to fade.
According to The Guardian, United’s hierarchy still believe they can land the 23-year-old ahead of City. Ratcliffe, crucially, is said to be willing to match the financial package required, including a significant wage rise.
Anderson currently earns around £100,000 a week at Forest. Any move to either Manchester club is expected to come with a 50 per cent increase. United, under Ratcliffe’s watch, are prepared to go there.
City Push, Forest Hold Firm
City have already tested Forest’s resolve. Their opening bid was rejected, and a second offer, this time in excess of £80m, is being prepared. It still sits below Forest’s £100m asking price.
Forest can afford to be stubborn. Anderson is central to their plans, and the World Cup looms large. A strong tournament with England and the numbers change again.
He is expected to start alongside Declan Rice in midfield for the Three Lions’ group-stage opener against Croatia. If he shines on that stage, Forest’s valuation will only harden. They know it. So do United and City.
The pressure, then, is not just on the clubs to move quickly, but on the player to justify the frenzy.
United’s Midfield Jigsaw
Ederson’s arrival has not closed the door on another midfield addition. Quite the opposite. United’s recruitment team are still working through a list of options, with Mateus Fernandes of West Ham, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba all under consideration.
Anderson, though, is clearly viewed as a potential headline signing. A statement player in an area of the pitch Ratcliffe and Erik ten Hag – or any successor – see as central to the club’s identity.
Behind England’s midfield starters, the future of United’s own Kobbie Mainoo hangs over the conversation. Mainoo is likely to be the first back-up option to both Anderson and Rice for Gareth Southgate this summer, a measure of how highly he is rated at international level.
United must now balance that emerging homegrown talent with the temptation of a £100m-ready-made operator from a Premier League rival.
Rashford Uncertainty and Wide Options
While the Anderson chase gathers pace, another saga rumbles on. Marcus Rashford’s future continues to cast a long shadow over United’s attack.
Rashford is locked in a battle with Anthony Gordon to start on the left wing for England, yet at club level his path appears to be veering away from Old Trafford. He remains intent on joining Barcelona on a permanent basis and has already turned down approaches from Arsenal, Newcastle United, Tottenham and most recently Bayern Munich.
United, aware of that stance, have begun to scan the market for replacements, even though Rashford has not played for the club in 18 months. The gap he leaves is not just statistical; it is structural, and it needs addressing.
Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye has emerged as a serious target in recent weeks. Yan Diomande has also been monitored, but he now looks more likely to head to Paris Saint-Germain or Liverpool if he leaves RB Leipzig.
Diomande’s situation, like Anderson’s, could shift again at the World Cup. Ivory Coast face Ecuador, Germany and Curacao in the group stage, and a strong showing would only increase interest and price.
A Market on Edge
United thought they had at least avoided World Cup-driven chaos with Ederson’s signing. They moved early, pushed hard, and believed they had locked in a key piece before the tournament could complicate matters.
Then came the twist. Carlo Ancelotti stepped in and chose Ederson as the replacement for the injured Wesley, hijacking what United had lined up as a clean, decisive deal.
That setback has sharpened the urgency around Anderson. Ratcliffe’s stance on wages underlines that United are not prepared to be left watching again while a major target heads elsewhere.
So the picture is set: Forest holding firm, City pushing, United returning to the table with a new financial edge, and a World Cup that could change everything in a matter of weeks.
If Anderson lights up the tournament alongside Rice, will £100m even be enough – and will United’s renewed conviction be strong enough to drag him to Old Trafford rather than across town to the Etihad?
