The brilliant 22-year-old Nottingham Forest midfielder recently won his first England cap against Andorra, and both in that game and the one following against Serbia, he was voted as man-of-the-match.
He might well not have got the nod had Jude Bellingham not been injured, though football, as in life, is often about taking opportunities when they are presented to you, and Anderson has done precisely that.
So much so that after just two games for the national team, there appears to be a ground swell of opinion that he has to be a mainstay in Thomas Tuchel's side, leading up to the 2026 World Cup finals.
Anderson thrives on taking responsibility
The wider football-watching public, therefore, also seemed to have cottoned on - better late than never - that in Anderson, Forest and the Three Lions have a player that is not only willing to take on the responsibility of running a game, but absolutely thriving on doing so.
How Newcastle must be kicking themselves that they were forced to sell the player because of the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules.
“No one internally wanted to make that sale - but we had to," Eddie Howe was quoted as saying in the aftermath of the switch.
“So I think that one is a very unusual one because I think that will be happening again, not just here, but at other football clubs, when you sell footballers for financial reasons.”
Though Forest don't appear to be scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of finances, nor are they one of the Premier League's big spenders, and with it being rumoured that Man Utd are preparing a January bid for Anderson, they too may find that financial reasons encourage a sale.
That's unless Ange Postecoglou works his magic over the next couple of months at the City Ground and builds the team around him.
Man Utd's interest in Anderson is no surprise
United's interest in Anderson is obvious. Manu Ugarte isn't the right fit alongside Bruno Fernandes, and Casemiro is likely to leave at the end of the season.
Anderson, a defensive midfielder by trade, is still able to get about the pitch and affect play at the sharp end too.
Against Andorra, he delivered 35 passes into the final third, won seven of his duels, had 127 touches and completed 107 passes with a 94% accuracy.
From a club perspective, his ability to both break up play as well as move things forward is just what United are looking for.
During the past season for Forest, Anderson was the fulcrum and one of the major reasons why the Tricky Trees came within a whisker of qualifying for the Champions League.
Despite not being the tallest player in the squad, he still managed to win 57 of his 87 aerial duels and 242 one-on-ones in the Premier League alone in 2024/25.
56 tackles won from 92 attempted in the English top-flight in 2024/25 gave Anderson a healthy 60.9% success, whilst his 31 interceptions and 68 clearances highlight the player's defensive attributes.
His 82.3% pass completion in the Premier League last season was one of the best in Forest's entire squad, whilst his 387 ball carries caught the eye too, as did his 73 10+ progressive carries.
United's brittle midfield needs shoring up
Though he only managed seven shots on target in the league, he did score two goals, which isn't a bad return in the grand scheme of things. His six assists also demonstrate his all-around game.
If United successfully procured his services, however, it's unlikely he will be called upon to be a supplementary attacker.
Where Anderson can do his best work is in a United midfield which has been far too brittle for far too long.
If Bruno, for example, is dispossessed in the centre of the field, there seems to be little fight put up by the rest of United's midfield, allowing opposition teams to simply walk through the spine of the Old Trafford outfit and take potshots.
Anderson's aggression, solidity and desire to win the ball back from his opposite number are precisely what Amorim has been missing, though his 10 yellow cards in the league last season might need to be improved upon.
Forest hold all the aces
Ultimately, Forest hold all the aces in any potential deal for the player, simply because his contract with them doesn't run out until 2029.
Evangelos Marinakis isn't likely to take too kindly to United circling for one of his club's best players, and if Postecoglou utilises Anderson as we might expect, he too won't be thrilled if he finds his midfielder becoming unsettled.
All of that said, if the player's performances continue at their current level, the Midlands-based outfit could make a healthy profit on their £35 million capture, allowing them to strengthen ahead of the second half of the season if necessary.
