- Manchester United eye up Elliot Anderson
- The midfielder is top of their summer shortlist
- Could reach upwards of £100million, with Manchester City circling
Manchester United are reportedly set for talks with Nottingham Forest over midfielder Elliot Anderson. The Reds are set for a summer rebuild, with the prized position in their sights being a new crop of midfielders.
A plethora of names is being considered to replace Casemiro in the heart of Manchester United’s midfield; the most prominent of these is Forest’s Anderson. The cost, however, is the big issue.
With Anderson attracting interest from some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs, we could see a bidding war for him in the summer. Manchester City currently lead the way for the English star, but United are still in the hunt.
Why Anderson fits
According to UtdDistrict, Manchester United are set to hold fresh talks with Elliot Anderson this week. He is the number one name on their shortlist, and it is not hard to see why.
A tenacious midfielder who excels in tight spaces, progressive carries, and chance creation. Pair him next to Kobbie Mainoo, and you have an elite duo. Anderson is more than comfortable with dropping deep and doing the dirty work you need from a midfield enforcer.
The Englishman is the only player in the Premier League to have won 200+ duels (254) and won possession 200+ times (259) this season.
Not only that, but Anderson is also in the 95th percentile for progressive passes.
Data taken from DataMB
But on an even more impressive note, here is Anderson against Manchester United’s other big four midfield targets.
Data taken from DataMB
Out of Sandro Tonali (pink), Adam Wharton (green), Carlos Baleba (yellow), and Bruno Guimaraes, Elliot Anderson (blue) stands out across the key metrics.
Most notably, he leads the group for forward passes, forward pass percentage, and progressive passes. He also ranks second for ball carrying and possession won, while placing third for key passes.
Even in the one area where he does not break into the top three—duels won percentage—he still posts a respectable 64.8%. But because of this, it makes Anderson a player in high demand.
With Manchester City prowling, the baseline sits at £80 million, but the price could easily rise above £100 million. There is a belief from the Etihad that the England international has his heart set on the move to the Cityzens.
Should United go all out?
In the current landscape of football, where you need a tall, athletic presence in midfield who can work as a destroyer, as well as a creator, Anderson stands above the rest of United’s shortlist.
Whilst the likes of Tonali and Guimaraes could be great additions to the squad, question marks remain over them. What this position truly comes down to, however, is whether you want Mainoo to start.
Whilst there is no doubt that he is one of the most popular players on the team—his shirt was the 6th most-sold in his breakthrough season—a quiet undercurrent of doubt persists among sections of the fanbase about whether he can anchor a title-winning midfield.
If you want Mainoo in the squad, you choose Anderson. Recast the Englishman as a rotational option, and Wharton—bodyguarded by a true midfield enforcer—starts to make more structural sense.
