Pessimism has been a constant theme at Manchester United in recent years, but that only speaks to the exceptional job Michael Carrick has been doing since replacing Ruben Amorim in January.
United’s players are not going to pack up for the summer with medals around their necks, but they are in a strong position to put the Amorim era to rights, qualifying for the Champions League with a top-four Premier League finish.
Of course, the uncertainty surrounding the dugout needs resolving before looking ahead, but that’s not to say that the Red Devils aren’t already planning for their exciting return to European competition, with INEOS clearly ready to spend a bucketload on an elite midfielder.
Man Utd holding talks for Premier League midfielder
Never has Casemiro played more football in a single season. However, the 34-year-old, who has enjoyed a big resurgence at Old Trafford, is out of contract this summer and currently in talks to move over the pond and sign for Inter Miami in the MLS.
|
Casemiro’s Premier League Career with Man Utd |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Apps |
Minutes |
|
25/26 |
29 |
2,148′ |
|
24/25 |
24 |
1,498′ |
|
23/24 |
25 |
1,985′ |
|
22/23 |
28 |
2,127′ |
Given Manchester United’s pre-existing midfield fragilities, it’s clear that signing a top midfielder is going to be a priority for INEOS this summer, and while Newcastle United pair Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali are admired, it’s actually a former Magpie who is emerging as United’s clear preference.
That’s according to United correspondent Samuel Luckhurst, who has confirmed that Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is emerging as the Red Devils’ priority target.
Arsenal and particularly Manchester City have vested interests of their own, though, but United are looking to structure their recruitment around him, making him the mainstay in the middle.
Forest want £100m for Anderson. If they get relegated, Evangelos Marinakis won’t be able to demand a nine-digit figure, but whatever happens, given that Manchester’s two giants are going to go neck and neck, this is going to be a marquee move.
How Elliot Anderson would improve Man Utd
Casemiro’s off, so Manchester United are going to need to sign a top-class replacement. Could Anderson be the man for the job? The young England star is certainly headed in the right direction, with Thomas Tuchel hailing him as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League“.
Anderson has nearly completed his second season at the City Ground after leaving Newcastle, the academy forced out due to PSR concerns.
It’s been the perfect move for him, having realised his dynamic, destructive qualities in the engine room.
Last season, Anderson was the centrepiece of an outfit who had surpassed expectations and broken into European competition. Now, he is battling at the heart of a relegation fight, and while he’d prefer to be punching at a higher weight class, this is proving an instrumental learning curve for one of the country’s most talented midfielders.
Tonali isn’t really a player you can define through data, but rather, empirical evidence. After all, how can you convey elegance and style through numbers?
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Premier League Comparison (25/26) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (* per 90) |
Tonali |
Anderson |
|
Matches (starts) |
29 (25) |
31 (31) |
|
Goals + Assists |
0 + 2 |
2 + 2 |
|
Touches* |
56.5 |
89.7 |
|
Accurate passes* |
36.6 (85%) |
55.4 (86%) |
|
Big chances created |
5 |
6 |
|
Key passes* |
0.9 |
1.5 |
|
Dribbles* |
0.6 (63%) |
1.3 (52%) |
|
Ball recoveries* |
4.2 |
8.4 |
|
Tackles + interceptions* |
1.9 |
4.0 |
|
Duels won* |
3.1 (54%) |
8.2 (55%) |
Even so, Anderson’s all-action presence is what Man United need, and given that both midfielders would come at a similar price tag, it’s Anderson who must be signed, hailed by analyst Ben Mattinson as a “do-it-all midfield warrior“.
Casemiro is a robust and combative player, and so it makes sense to prioritise the signing of a similar player, encompassing the different aspects of the central game.
Whether Man United win the race is something we won’t know for a few more months, but there is no question anymore that Anderson is INEOS’s top target, and if they beat Man City to his signature, it would underline this new sense of direction back to the top of the English and European pyramid.
It’s not kitchen sink time yet, but there’s no question that this could turn into a dogfight, so it’s pleasing to see the groundwork being placed already.
Man Utd have already sold the perfect Casemiro replacement for just £9m
Manchester United’s veteran No. 6 will leave the club when his contract expires this summer.