- Manchester United on lookout for Casemiro replacement
- Elliot Anderson has emerged as the top target
- Red Devils have other options in mind
The race for Elliot Anderson is shaping up to be the major transfer battle of the summer, and Manchester United cannot afford to finish second.
It is widely believed that Manchester City remain the frontrunners for the Nottingham Forest midfielder. However, as per Samuel Luckhurst of SunSport, United have identified the 23-year-old as their ideal midfield target and are prepared to plan their entire summer window around him.
The Reds have spent the last decade chasing shadows in the transfer market, but this level of conviction is precisely what the fans want to see from the INEOS ownership.
Manchester United Need Anderson
The logic behind the Anderson pursuit is simple yet compelling. Casemiro is due to leave at the end of the campaign, and Serie A-linked Manuel Ugarte has made a limited impact, starting only nine times with just one win in those outings.
This left the engine room in need of a complete overhaul. Michael Carrick’s interim side has relied heavily on Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo in the pivot, but the long-term solution requires a different option. Anderson may be the ideal candidate for that.
Anderson has quietly put together a season that ranks him among the most effective defensive midfielders in the Premier League. No midfielder has completed more successful short passes than the England international this term, while he sits fourth for interceptions and total tackles.
United tried to sign Declan Rice before his move to Arsenal, and there is a belief within the club that Anderson can follow a similar path of evolution.
United Ready to Battle City
Speaking on the situation, Ben Jacobs explained how INEOS views the Forest star’s trajectory. He told The United Stand:
“Manchester United feel that Anderson could follow a path like Declan Rice,” Jacobs said. “If you go back to Declan Rice in the last sort of 12 to 18 months at West Ham and probably more so the first season at Arsenal, he was really being encouraged to get more goal contributions, and Elliot Anderson has got that in his locker as well.”
The complication, of course, is Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side recruited Nico Gonzalez and Tijjani Reijnders last year, but it has been suggested they would only sanction a move for Anderson if Rodri failed to get back to his best. Even with that uncertainty, City’s interest looms large. If United hesitates, the noisy neighbours will pounce.
With Anderson under contract at Forest until 2029 and his starting status for England now cemented in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, the asking price is likely to sit around the £100 million mark. That is a significant outlay, but for a player who has already proven he can excel at the City Ground against the very best, it is a price worth paying.
Manchester United are on course to qualify for the Champions League, having invested more than £200 million in attack last summer. Now is the time to fix the midfield. Adam Wharton, Sandro Tonali, and Carlos Baleba are all reported, but Anderson remains the one who ticks every box. Miss out on him, and it will feel like the one that got away.
