Rio Ferdinand names “aggressive” midfielder signing he wants as dream partner for Man Utd star

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand says he is eager to see the club signing Nottingham Forest central midfielder Elliot Anderson.

The pundit named Anderson as his preferred target over the likes of Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, saying he could see the England international being the perfect partner to complement Kobbie Mainoo.

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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand praised Anderson for his aggression and all-round playing style.

Rio Ferdinand on Elliot Anderson transfer

“It is Elliot Anderson, he is 23, Guimaraes is 28, Tonali is 25, soon to be 26, so that counts for a lot for me. I want young hungry players in my squad.

“He complements Mainoo, because I think Kobbie is going to be one of the main players in the team now, going to build around him and I think Elliot Anderson absolutely complements him.

“They are different, Anderson has that mobility, that energy to get around the park, aggressive, we need those legs and he wins the ball. He is more competitive than the other two.”

Manchester United given Elliot Anderson transfer boost

Anderson makes sense as an ideal United target in midfield, and there’s some suggestion of them being firmly in the race for his signature despite previous talk of Manchester City being frontrunners.

BBC Sport suggested United would not give up battling City for the 23-year-old’s signature, and now Florian Plettenberg has posted below about MCFC focusing more on a new contract for Rodri…

?? Forest expect Manchester United to remain seriously in the race for Elliot #Anderson. Manchester City have also registered their interest, although their current focus is on extending Rodri’s contract. #MUFC #MCFC

So far, no club has made direct contact with Forest. A fee… pic.twitter.com/uQJCMTY0pg

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) April 6, 2026

Even if City would be a tempting destination for Anderson after all their recent success, it might also be worth thinking about his playing time there if they remain so keen on keeping Rodri.

The Spain international would likely remain first choice for Pep Guardiola’s side, and so Anderson might do better to join MUFC and have the team built around him.

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