Forest boss fuels Anderson transfer optimism for Man Utd & City

Manchester United v Nottingham Forest - Premier League

Nottingham Forest manager Vitor Pereira has conceded that the club may struggle to retain Elliot Anderson this summer following another standout performance against Manchester United. The 23-year-old England international is reportedly at the centre of a bidding war between United and Manchester City after flourishing at the City Ground.

Pereira opens the door to summer exit

In the wake of a narrow 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford, Pereira was grilled on whether he feared losing the talented midfielder to one of the Premier League's heavyweights. Despite Forest’s desire to keep their core squad intact, the Portuguese coach admitted that the final decision might be out of his hands once the transfer window opens.

"I don’t have the answers. The market is the market and everything can happen," Pereira told reporters. "What I can say to you is that the club wants to keep him playing for us, for sure. The club wants to keep almost all the players because this is a very good group with quality and character and we have a very good base for next season."

Manchester United v Nottingham Forest - Premier League

Man Utd and Man City on high alert

Anderson's display against the Red Devils served as a perfect audition, with the midfielder providing assists for both Morato and Morgan Gibbs-White. His ability to dictate play in tight areas has reportedly seen United identify him as a key summer target, while Man City have also been tracking his progress for several months.

Forest have reportedly attempted to ward off suitors by slapping a massive £100 million price tag on the former Newcastle man.

However, with Pereira acknowledging the unpredictable nature of the market, both United and City may feel encouraged to test the Midlands club's resolve during the off-season.

High praise for Forest's 'top' talent

While Pereira was cautious about the transfer talk, he was effusive in his praise for Anderson’s natural ability. The manager believes the England international is destined for the pinnacle of the European game, provided he continues to refine certain aspects of his positional discipline within a tactical system.

"He has the talent to be one of the top, top of the top," Pereira added. "Every time he can score more goals, he can take a little bit more risk in the last third because he has a very good shot. It depends on the system because if we play in the system where we give him total freedom to build play and to appear, I think he can do everything, but in our system, we are playing with two midfielders. He needs to understand when the other ones loses the position that he cannot lose the position. But he has a lot of talent, for sure. He’s young and he will fly with big wings."

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Old Trafford drama and Gibbs-White praise

The match against United was overshadowed by a controversial decision to allow Matheus Cunha's goal. Despite the frustration of the result, the Forest boss also took time to praise Morgan Gibbs-White, who played through the pain barrier wearing a protective mask following a recent head injury.

"In an open game they [Anderson and Gibbs-White] are very dangerous players," Pereira continued. "You cannot give a lot of space to Elliot because he can decide a game, whether it is assisting, shooting or finding someone free. Morgan, even with the problem of the mask, has a lot of quality and he scored a beautiful goal. He had a chance to score more goals today and I’m very proud of my players."