Some bad news for the Manchester rivals

Bayern Munich have muscled to the front of the queue for Nottingham Forest’s highly rated midfielder Elliot Anderson, dealing an early blow to both Manchester City and Manchester United ahead of what is shaping up to be one of the most fiercely contested transfer battles of the summer.

The two Premier League powerhouses had been preparing to duel for the 23-year-old Englishman, with estimates placing the eventual fee in excess of £100 million ($133 million). Yet, according to the Daily Mail, Bayern have now “stepped up” their pursuit and are positioning themselves as the most serious suitors.

Anderson is understood to be intrigued by the prospect of linking up with England captain Harry Kane at the Allianz Arena, while the perennial Bundesliga champions’ status among the Champions League favourites adds further appeal. The Bavarian giants’ entry into the race complicates matters for City and United, who had viewed the Forest star as their primary midfield target.

The scramble for Anderson is emblematic of a wider market bottleneck. Last summer’s feeding frenzy centred on strikers, with Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitiké, Viktor Gyökeres, Benjamin Šeško, João Pedro and Liam Delap all subject to multi-club bidding wars. This year the focus has shifted to midfield reinforcements, and Anderson sits at the top of a very short list of elite options.

United and City are already braced for competition from Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur, while Arsenal, Newcastle United, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain could yet join the hunt depending on outgoing deals. The fear inside Old Trafford and the Etihad is that Anderson may be unobtainable if Bayern accelerate negotiations and secure an early agreement.

Should Anderson move to Germany, the Premier League pair will be forced to pivot to an increasingly shallow pool of alternatives. Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton has emerged as a popular fallback, while Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali has been thrust back into the shop window by an aggressive agent campaign. Bruno Guimarães, also at St James’ Park, continues to be linked with a high-profile exit.

Brighton’s Carlos Baleba remains on several shortlists despite Manchester United seeing an approach rebuffed last year, and Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams plus Wolves’ João Gomes are expected to be available. Borussia Dortmund insist Felix Nmecha is not for sale after signing a new deal, yet the club’s reputation for accepting the right price means suitors are unlikely to be deterred.

With so many elite clubs chasing so few proven operators, analysts predict a summer of rapid domino effects: miss out on target No 1 and a team may find itself negotiating for the seventh or eighth name on the wish list. For City and United, the message from Munich is clear: the clock is already ticking.