Man Utd can sell 5 players to fund blockbuster Elliott Anderson transfer

Manchester United are reportedly considering a swoop for Nottingham Forest's star midfielder, Elliot Anderson. The 23-year-old has emerged as a prime target for Ruben Amorim's side, who are keen to bolster their central midfield. Anderson joined Forest from Newcastle last summer in a deal worth £35million.

In his debut season at the City Ground, he made an impressive 42 appearances across all competitions, contributing significantly to Forest's seventh-place finish in the Premier League and their journey to the FA Cup semi-finals. Despite Forest's lacklustre start to the 2025/26 season, Anderson's form has been consistently strong. His stellar performances earned him his first senior England call-up in August, and he has since shone in the Three Lions shirt, starting against Andorra, Serbia, Wales and Latvia.

On Sunday, Anderson netted his first goal of the season, converting a penalty to score Forest's third goal in a crucial 3-1 victory over Leeds.

Sky Sport Germany reported less than 48 hours later that Manchester United 'remain keen' on securing Anderson's services and have expressed serious interest. Forest have been notified about United's intentions to pursue the Whitley Bay-born player, but it is understood that the Reds will demand a hefty fee of at least £100m, if not closer to £120m.

If United were to sign Anderson for that sum, or even more, he would become the club's record transfer, surpassing Paul Pogba's £89m switch from Juventus to the Reds in 2016.

This would be a significant move for Ruben Amorim and United, but the club might need to generate funds first through player sales to afford a nine-figure spend on Anderson.

How could the Reds achieve this?

It would be useful to review the players currently out on loan and see if United could sell them for substantial fees.

At present, Marcus Rashford is the most likely to be sold next summer. The 28-year-old moved to Barcelona on a season-long loan in July and has been outstanding for the La Liga side, netting six goals and providing nine assists in 16 appearances across all competitions.

Barcelona, who have covered Rashford's £8m wages for the season, have a £26m option to buy him at the end of the campaign. If the Catalan giants have the finances to finalise a transfer, it appears very likely to happen at this stage, providing United with a sizeable pure profit.

Another potential sale is Rasmus Hojlund. The Dane has found the back of the net four times in 10 matches since joining Napoli on loan in August and Antonio Conte's team have a £38m option to buy him next summer.

If United can secure that amount for the former Atalanta player, it would be a handy cash injection to help fund Anderson.

Jadon Sancho, currently on loan at Aston Villa, is another high-profile United player whose future at Old Trafford seems uncertain. Despite the lack of an option for Villa to buy the 25-year-old, his £20m valuation could provide a financial boost for United.

Andre Onana, another big-name United star, is spending the season away from Manchester at Turkish side Trabzonspor. The 29-year-old Cameroon international, valued at £26m, could potentially fetch around £15m, despite United having paid £47.5m for him from Inter Milan in 2023.

Selling Rashford, Hojlund, Sancho and Onana could bring in at least £85m, if not more, putting United within touching distance of the funds required to secure Anderson.

However, United might consider selling a prized asset not only to afford Anderson but also to bolster other areas of the team. Cashing in on Kobbie Mainoo could enable the Reds to achieve this.

The 20-year-old has seen just 138 minutes of Premier League action this season, raising questions about his future at United, with Chelsea among those reportedly interested.

Mainoo's valuation stands at around £45m, and while that may seem low given his age and potential, United might need to sell him simply to accommodate Anderson in the squad.