da cassino： It seems like Manchester United will focus the next stage of their rebuild on the midfield. There are a few players who have futures up in the air, at least in the short term. One of those is Casemiro, whose contract expires in the summer, and it is unclear at this stage if he will extend his deal at Old Trafford.
da aviator aposta： The other player who might not have a clear future at United is Kobbie Mainoo. He has been underused by Ruben Amorim this season, and could depart the club on loan in January, with Napoli one side who could make a move.
If they do leave, there are a few midfielders from within the Premier League that United could target.
United’s main midfield target
A recent report from TEAMTalk suggests that United have three names on their shortlist when it comes to a new midfielder. All of those currently play in the Premier League, with Brighton’s Carlos Baleba and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton two of those players.
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The third man is someone who is one of the most highly rated midfielders in the Premier League right now.
TEAMtalk report that the Red Devils ‘would like to seal a deal’ for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson as one of their key targets in the middle of the park.
This will not be a straightforward deal to do, with the England international a player of interest to former club Newcastle United, too.
However, the Red Devils are showing a keen interest and could look to get a £60m deal over the line. Forest, however, would want closer to £80m if this move were to go ahead.
Man Utd's perfect Carrick successor
There is no doubt that 23-year-old Anderson is one of the most exciting midfielders in England. Described by Thomas Tuchel as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League”, he’s seemingly secured a spot in the German’s starting lineup for the 2026 World Cup.
He has been exceptional this season in the middle of the park for Forest. In a campaign of great turmoil where they’ve had three different managers, the 23-year-old has been incredibly consistent, playing 14 games, scoring and assisting once.
That included a superb assist for Chris Wood on the opening day of the season.
His underlying numbers also reflect just how well he has played. The boyhood Newcastle star ranks in the top 1% of Premier League midfielders for several key metrics, including progressive passes per 90 minutes, of which he’s played 8.82, and ball recoveries, completing 8.36 each game.
Passes completed
63.73
97th
Progressive passes
8.82
99th
Passes into final third
8.55
99th
Take-ons completed
1.27
97th
Ball recoveries
8.36
99th
There are certainly similarities between Anderson and one of the all-time great midfielders in United’s history, Michael Carrick.
The former England international was metronomic at the heart of the Red Devils midfield for many years, shining under Sir Alex Ferguson especially.
He made 464 appearances for the 13-time Premier League champions, winning five of those league titles and one Champions League.
He even chipped in from the base of midfield with 24 goals and 35 assists.
He was a player highly rated by teammates, with Gary Neville saying he brought “authority, control, peace” to the pitch. This is certainly similar to Anderson, who, as the numbers show, is a true controller in the midfield, able to dictate play at will.
Anderson, it feels like, could bring a similar level of composure to the United midfield that Carrick did all those years ago. England boss Tuchel thinks highly of him, describing him as “a very complete, mobile central midfielder.”
However, it is not just their playstyle that is eerily similar. Carrick was born and raised in the North East, just like Anderson, with the pair growing up in close geographical areas. There are a few fair connections between the duo.
In signing Anderson, United could be adding their new Carrick to the middle of the park. He could certainly bring the same sort of brilliance on the ball and tenacity without it that their former number 16 did during his time at the club.
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