Man United aim to avoid bidding war with Man City and identify three alternative transfer targets

Manchester United reportedly want to avoid a bidding war with Manchester City for what will likely be a hugely expensive transfer deal for Elliot Anderson .

The Nottingham Forest midfielder looks set to be a man in demand this summer, with Man Utd emerging as one of his suitors.

Still, it seems the Red Devils would prefer to avoid paying over the odds for Anderson and could explore three alternatives instead, according to ESPN .

The report explains that Forest value Anderson at around £120m , leading United to also look at other options like Carlos Baleba, Sandro Tonali, and Aurelien Tchouameni.

Anderson has had a superb season for Forest and undoubtedly looks like he’s going to get himself a big move in the months ahead.

ESPN report that Forest see their valuation of the England international as fair due to the other similar fees that have been paid for top midfielders like Moises Caicedo in recent times.

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Still, United have over-spent a lot in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, and it makes sense that they want to be more careful about blowing too much on one player.

The other names mentioned probably wouldn’t come cheap either, but Baleba, Tonali, or Tchouameni could probably still save the club a fairly significant amount.

At the same time, however, going for cheaper options can also be risky, as Baleba in particular has suffered a dip in form, while Tchouameni hasn’t ever played in the Premier League.

Tonali looks like a good option, but he’s a bit older than Anderson and probably not quite as well-rounded, so these are the difficult decisions United have to make this summer.