da dobrowin： The central midfield department is arguably one of the most important areas of the pitch, but it’s often been a struggle for Manchester United over the last couple of months.
da premier bet： Bruno Fernandes has often been called upon to drop into a deeper role and fill the void at the heart of the side – a position that has become his own after the £200m additions in the final third.
A partner for the Portuguese international has been on the agenda for Ruben Amorim in recent months, but their hunt has so far been to no avail, with no new midfield additions made since his arrival 12 months ago.
33-year-old Casemiro has often been the man called upon in the Premier League this season, with the Brazilian making a positive impression – as seen by his tally of three goals to date.
However, given his age and current contract situation, he’s likely to depart Old Trafford at the end of the campaign, which could see the issue at the heart of the side rear its head once again.
As a result, INEOS are currently on the hunt for a new deep-lying option to fill the void for years to come, leading to one player being strongly linked with a move in the near future.
Why United are so keen on signing Anderson in the coming months
Over the last couple of weeks, United have ramped up their interest in a January deal to secure the signature of Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson.
It was reported earlier this week that Amorim’s men have already reached out to the Reds over a potential deal, with discussions taking place over the conditions of the transfer.
However, the 23-year-old would be a hugely expensive signing, with Sean Dyche’s men currently setting the asking price at a staggering £100m for the youngster.
Young English prospects always come at a premium in the modern market, but is the asking price at present a fair price for a player of Anderson’s quality?
His underlying stats from the current Premier League campaign certainly make for good reading, with the former Newcastle United academy graduate ranking top of 13 separate metrics at present.
He’s completed 113 passes into the final third, with his tally of 706 passes completed, the most of any player in the division – subsequently offering Amorim’s men a hugely talented orchestrator.
However, the hierarchy are undoubtedly hunting for a more defensive option at present, with any addition needing to be dominant without the ball to allow Bruno to flourish.
Luckily for United, Anderson has also excelled in such an area, currently entering and coming out on top in more defensive duels of any player in the division in 2025/26.
Other numbers, such as 8.8 progressive passes, with 8.6 of which being into the final third, further highlight the all-round quality the 23-year-old possesses despite his tender age.
Anderson has also transferred his talents onto the international stage, now cementing himself as a key member of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad over the last few months.
He featured for 85 minutes against Serbia on Thursday night, making the most tackles and winning the most duels of any player – further backing up his incredible defensive abilities in the Premier League.
It’s safe to say he ticks all the boxes United are looking for a new midfielder, but it remains to be seen if the hierarchy are willing to sanction such a big-money deal this January.
The United star who’s now worth more than Anderson
Despite their failures on the pitch over the last few years, Old Trafford still remains the home to countless top-level talents who are looking to cement their place in club folklore.
From big-money additions to academy prospects, boss Amorim really does have a hugely exciting squad at his disposal in his hunt for Premier League glory.
Adding quality players like Anderson will no doubt bolster their chances of success, but it shouldn’t take away from the levels previously produced by numerous players already on the books.
There’s little debating that Bruno is the most complete central midfielder currently on the books, but he desperately needs support around him to allow the club to reach the next level.
Kobbie Mainoo once appeared as though he was the perfect player to make the midfield spot his own, but it’s safe to say his career has stagnated since Amorim’s arrival last November.
The 20-year-old catapulted himself to stardom back in the 2023/24 campaign after producing countless moments of magic in the first-team after rising through the academy system.
From last-minute winners against Wolverhampton Wanderers to an FA Cup final goal against Manchester City – it truly was a season to remember for the youngster.
His incredible form for the Red Devils even led to a place in the England Euro 2024 squad, subsequently featuring in six of the seven fixtures during the tournament.
His talents were there for everyone to see, but he’s since struggled for senior minutes under Amorim, with Mainoo only registering 12 league starts in the last 12 months.
Most of his minutes have come off the substitutes bench, with the academy graduate yet to start a single Premier League outing in the 2025/26 campaign.
Games played
25
Minutes played
1656
Pass accuracy
87%
Chances created
1.7
Successful dribbles
1.3
Tackles won
63%
Duels won
5.9
Interceptions made
1.2
Recoveries made
4.8
It was reported in the summer that the player himself requested a temporary move away from Old Trafford to gain minutes to aid his development – but such a request was swiftly denied by the board.
However, despite his lack of action, Mainoo has still received huge praise in the last few months, with former Red Devil Paul Scholes labelling him as the “nearest thing” to the legendary Zinedine Zidane.
Such a comparison is no mean feat, with the now-retired Frenchman being one of the best midfielders of his generation – as seen by his tally of seven major trophies, which includes a World Cup triumph back in 1998.
Mainoo may not have featured as much as he would have liked, but he’s seen a sharp incline in his market value, with FootballTransfers now valuing the 20-year-old at £55.4m.
Such a figure is a remarkable one, given his academy status, subsequently joining for nothing as a youngster, which highlights the work done by countless staff behind the scenes.
However, such a figure is also higher than that of Anderson, with the same site valuing the Forest star at just £45.6m despite his current £100m asking price.
There’s little doubt that a move for Anderson would improve the options at Amorim’s disposal, but it’s clear that the boss needs to give Mainoo another chance to thrive.
The youngster has bags of time to reach the next level in his development, but he’s already achieved so much in such a short period – with such talent currently going to waste under the manager.
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