Manchester City make opening bid for Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson, Arsenal lead race for Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers - Paper Round

Manchester United are also known to be keen on the player, but it is City that seem to have the upper hand.

The Athletic reports: "Manchester City have made an opening offer for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson.

"Forest have rejected the bid but City’s pursuit of the England international remains ongoing. The City Ground club will look to get the best possible deal for Anderson if he is to leave the City Ground this summer.

"Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak spoke at UEFA’s Champions League dinner in Budapest last Thursday, which included numerous senior figures in football, but there is no suggestion they negotiated on Anderson, sources with knowledge of the meeting have told The Athletic.

"Manchester United have also held an interest in the 23-year-old but their stance has long been they would not bid as high as the figures Forest are expected to want and other midfield targets have been seen as more credible."

Arsenal believe they hold the upper hand in the rapidly escalating race to sign Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers this summer. 

Despite intense interest from Europe's elite, The Gunners are confident that the Emirates Stadium is the most enticing destination for the England star if Villa can be persuaded to sell.

The Mirror reports: ”Arsenal believe they will be in pole position if Morgan Rogers becomes available this summer. 

”Mirror Sport revealed on Sunday that Mikel Arteta wants to make Aston Villa forward Rogers a key part of his summer transfer plans. 

”But Arsenal are facing major competition from the likes of Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Chelsea with Rogers likely to be the hottest property on the market. 

”Aston Villa are determined to keep him and will not want to sell especially after clinching their place in next season’s Champions League.

"But Arsenal believe if there is a deal to be done then they are well placed and would be the most attractive option for the England star.”

Manchester United are set to hold back the official unveilings of summer signings Ederson and Cristian Orozco until early next month. 

Michael Carrick has moved swiftly to secure the Atalanta midfielder and the teenage Colombian prospect, but all parties are willing to wait to formalise the transfers on paper.

The Sun explains: ”Manchester United are planning to wait until next month before unveiling Ederson and Cristian Orozco as their first two summer signings. 

”Michael Carrick has been looking to bolster his squad since penning a two-year deal to become the Red Devils’ permanent boss. 

”The Brazilian, 26, is set to undergo a medical after a bid worth an initial £35 million was accepted. 

”But all parties are not intending to complete the switch to Old Trafford until early July. And the Atalanta man is set to be followed through the door by teenage prospect Orozco. 

”United moved quickly to secure a deal for the Colombian, 17, just months after he joined Fortaleza last year.”

Newcastle United have entered direct negotiations to challenge Brighton in a £20 million move for AIK’s teenage winger Zadok Yohanna. 

The 18-year-old has caught the eye of heavyweights across Europe, drawing immense scouting crowds in Sweden following his rapid rise since moving from Nigeria.

The Mail states: ”Newcastle United are rivalling Brighton in a £20 million battle for AIK's highly-rated flying winger Zadok Yohanna. Brighton have already made an opening offer for the 18-year-old and Newcastle are now discussing figures also with the Swedish club. 

”Yohanna, who only joined AIK from the Ikon Allah academy in Nigeria last summer, has also been tracked by Chelsea and Tottenham this season. 

”Real Madrid, Rennes, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund have also sent staff to watch Yohanna who is a left-footed winger that plays on the right. Indeed, during April's clash with Kalmar FF, there were 32 scouts at the game all credited with interest in the teenager.”

Highly-rated England youth international Josh Abe has rejected astronomical financial packages from Premier League rivals to commit his long-term future to Liverpool.

The 15-year-old winger has agreed to terms on a scholarship that will transition into a three-year professional contract when he turns 17.

The Athletic reports: ”England youth international Josh Abe has turned down interest from a host of Premier League clubs to commit his future to Liverpool. 

”The 15-year-old winger, who is widely regarded as one of the most exciting talents at the Kirkby academy and has been linked to Manchester City and Chelsea, has signed scholarship terms with a pre-contract agreement in place for a three-year professional deal to start when he turns 17 in July 2027. 

”Sources familiar with the process, who asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships, stating that the youngster was offered pro terms of up to £50,000 per week from Premier League rivals to move away from Liverpool.”

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