- ‘Surprised’ if Manchester United win Anderson race
- Number of clubs interested
- Manchester City favourites
The focus of the upcoming summer transfer window for Manchester United will be on bolstering their midfield.
Much of that is down to the impending departure of Casemiro, who will be leaving for free when his contract expires. The future of Manuel Ugarte is uncertain, too, with an exit likely due to a lack of game time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes has also been the subject of departure talks. Not only is there a requirement to fill in experience and quality, but Champions League qualification also means at least an extra eight games on the calendar.
One name linked to the club is Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson. Anderson has featured heavily for Forest in their fight against relegation this season.
Anderson has played 40 times, scoring two goals and providing three assists, primarily in a defensive midfield role. The former Newcastle midfielder is also expected to be in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad this summer.
‘Unlikely’ Anderson Joins United
Journalist Andy Mitten on The Talk of the Devils podcast has admitted that it is unlikely that Manchester United will sign Anderson.
Mitten said: “I’d be surprised if he [Anderson] ends up joining, though I’d like him to. The competition for his signature is very strong, and he’s in a great position. Both Manchester clubs are interested.”
Bayern Munich are also thought to be interested in the midfielder, and they are managed by former City player Vincent Kompany. Yet it has been reported multiple times in recent weeks that rivals City have almost won the race for the Forest star.
United have not yet given up the fight for the midfielder, but look resigned to admitting defeat to their rivals. Anderson is expected to be one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive, British deals of next summer. Whether the Reds would be prepared to splash the cash on one player rather than across several names is another question to be answered.
For United, Anderson embodies the INEOS model of a young English player who is technically sound and a face of the club’s present and future. At the age of 23 and with extensive Premier League experience under his belt, he would be an ideal replacement for Casemiro.
In his later years, Casemiro has been a master of positioning, executing his technical brilliance as an anchor for the Red Devils. Anderson would provide the engine to do a similar job for the next decade.
Casemiro Heading For Exit
The Brazilian’s future club is yet to be decided, but it is thought a number of clubs in Europe, the USA and Saudi Arabia are interested. He has already ruled out a move back to his native Brazil. In the event that United don’t land Anderson, it will take at least two signings to plug the gap left by Casemiro.
Other names being linked are Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton and Mateus Fernandes. However, none of these players would be a like-for-like replacement for Casemiro. Rather, they have attributes that would complement the team as a whole.
