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Manchester City and Manchester United want the same midfielder this summer, and United have also been linked to a former City player
Manchester City and Manchester United both want to sign Elliot Anderson this summer, pitting the two Premier League giants against each other. It was reported yesterday in the Manchester Evening News that the Blues believe they have won the race, but United will keep fighting for a player that has caught the eye as one of the best midfielders in the league.
Another player to stand out at the weekend was former City midfielder Shea Charles, who scored the winner for Southampton as they dumped Arsenal out of the FA Cup. Having started to think about a potential Quadruple, their fans are now all in on the Premier League and Champions League after two defeats in a row in the domestic cup competitions.
Charles has impressed after leaving City in 2023 for an initial £10.5m having made just one senior appearance for Pep Guardiola's side. There were also an extra £4.5m that could be met in performance-related payments and the 22-year-old has found his feet at St Mary's this season after spending last year on loan at Sheffield Wednesday.
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It is being claimed that United are one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing Charles in the summer. More than one midfielder is wanted this summer at Old Trafford, and their director of football Jason Wilcox joined Southampton when they signed Charles and a host of City academy players.
Should United or any other club take the plunge on Charles this summer, they will be indirectly giving millions to City. On top of the fees that the Blues have already banked for the Northern Ireland international, they inserted a sell-on clause that will give them 25 per cent of any profit that Southampton make on Charles; a £25m fee would mean City got £2.5m, for instance.
The biggest transfer battle in the summer window will be Forest's Anderson as both clubs look to land a marquee signing. But whatever happens there, United could end up boosting City's balance sheet if they follow up their interest in Charles.
Southampton beat fellow promotion hopefuls Wrexham on Tuesday night to improve their chances of a return to the Premier League and are finishing the season as one of the form teams ahead of the play-offs. A promotion could increase Southampton's chances of keeping Charles, although it would also increase his fee for any interested buyers.
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