Elliot Anderson's next club could have been drastically different as new offer comes to light

After spearheading the England midfield at the 2026 World Cup, Elliot Anderson will be packing his bags and moving to Manchester, but his arrival in the north west could have been very different.

Anderson will be trading in the red of Nottingham Forest for the sky blue of Man City after recently completing a medical while in the World Cup squad, completing a £116 million move.

The massive fee makes him one of the most expensive Premier League players of all time, although the huge price tag looks a bit better when you adjust for inflation.

Having established himself as the starting holding midfielder for the Three Lions, he will look to take the role from Rodri in the City squad, as the ageing Spaniard still recovers from his ACL tear.

But the England star could have had a very different master to be a padawan to, as the red side of Manchester also lined him up to be the next captain of the club.

Manchester United reportedly offered Elliot Anderson a captaincy path before he joined City

According to The Athletic, Manchester United opened talks with Anderson this summer, identifying the Scholes-esque player as a prospect that they would have liked to see in red.

The report even claims that the Red Devils enquired about his fee to Forest before the massive price was revealed, and began talks with the player.

United 'discussed the prospect' of making Anderson their captain too, claiming that he has the leadership ability to succeed Bruno Fernandes in the years to come.

It would have been conditional on Anderson delivering on the pitch, but under Bruno Fernandes' mentorship, it could have been a match made in heaven.

Ultimately, United backed out of the deal after learning that Forest was demanding a nine-digit transfer fee, which was more than they wanted to pay.

This leaves Manchester United in a bit of a pickle with their midfield, even if they are earning millions in compensation off the back of Manuel Ugarte's World Cup heartbreak.

Currently, United only have Mainoo and the injured Ugarte as seasoned deep-lying midfield players, and with Carrick playing two, they would have to play every game with the squad as it is.

Things got even worse for United this week as long-time target Mateus Fernandes snubbed a move to Old Trafford in favour of Spurs.

It is expected that Brazilian midfielder Éderson will be making his move after the World Cup, with a fee of around £35 million being discussed between United and Atalanta.

Elsewhere, Bournemouth's Alex Scott and Tyler Adams are high on their shortlist alongside Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni and Borussia Dortmund star Felix Nmecha.

For United, the summer rebuild will be a key difference between becoming a Premier League powerhouse once again and allowing themselves to be swallowed up by a demanding Champions League campaign in the same way Newcastle fell off.