- Man Utd eyeing Elliot Anderson
- Club unlikely to pay over £100m
- Why it makes sense
Laurie Whitwell has delved into Manchester United‘s midfield overhaul plans and where they stand over Elliot Anderson. The Nottingham Forest midfielder is one of the top targets heading into the summer.
Anderson has flourished at Forest this season and caught the eye of United who need to replace Casemiro. The England international earned huge plaudits in last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Michael Carrick’s side, registering two assists.
The 23-year-old is becoming the most coveted Premier League star and it seems likely he’ll be moving to Manchester in the summer. A switch to Old Trafford is looking increasingly unlikely and that’s the right decision given his price tag.
Man Utd’s wise Anderson decision
According to Whitwell for The Athletic, United’s interest in Anderson doesn’t mean they will pay an outlandish fee for the Englishman. His club value him at over £100m, and the club is “unlikely to bid that high.”
Manchester City are in pole position to land the former Newcastle United midfielder. That’s despite Pep Guardiola leaving and Enzo Maresca arriving as his successor.
As soon as that £100m bid goes in for Anderson, that’s when the Reds must leave the race. He’s not worth spending most of the club’s transfer budget on when there are many midfielders available for lower fees.
Take, for example, Sandro Tonali, who reportedly wants to leave Newcastle. Others on the shortlist include Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba and Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni.
If INEOS are spending £100m this summer it should be on at least two new midfielders. The dream is to have three new faces arrive in the middle of the park to help Carrick handle a return to the UEFA Champions League.
Quantity over one player’s quality
United’s recruitment has improved massively since INEOS took over the club’s sporting operations. There have been a few disappointments, such as Manuel Ugarte, who might even be sold this summer.
The transfer chiefs did a superb job overhauling the frontline last summer, bringing Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko to Old Trafford. There are signs that they will have similar success with a midfield rebuild.
Anderson is an outrageously gifted footballer who ticks so many boxes for United. But is he better than Declan Rice, who cost £105m? Probably not.
Missing out on the Forest star wouldn’t be the end of the world and INEOS can instead focus on three new midfield signings. Imagine adding two holding midfielers such as Tchouameni and Baleba and a prospect such as Fernandes to Carrick’s squad.
