Manchester United are continuing their pursuit of midfielders after agreeing a deal to sign Atalanta’s Ederson, and could now spend big on a Premier League star.
It’s no secret that it’s a priority position for the Red Devils ahead of next season and Ederson is likely to just be the first of a whole host of impressive additions.
For all their money-saving hacks, INEOS could spend big to land some familiar faces for Michael Carrick, with Elliot Anderson at the very top of their shopping list.
Whilst the Nottingham Forest midfielder is most likely to head to Manchester City at this stage, Man United aren’t giving up anytime soon and remain optimistic that they can lure him to Old Trafford.
It’s not a deal that will come cheap, though. Man City have already been told to pay £120m without any add-ons and that would make Anderson both theirs and Man United’s most expensive signing of all time.
|
Rank |
Player |
Fee |
Signed from |
Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Paul Pogba |
£89m |
Juventus |
2016 |
|
2 |
Antony |
£81.3m |
Ajax |
2022 |
|
3 |
Harry Maguire |
£80m |
Leicester City |
2019 |
|
4 |
Romelu Lukaku |
£75m |
Everton |
2017 |
|
5 |
Jadon Sancho |
£73m |
Borussia Dortmund |
2021 |
There’s also the case of Mateus Fernandes to consider. The West Ham United star is a man in-demand following the Hammers’ relegation and they’ve reportedly set a hefty £85m asking price. Once again, Man United may hesitate to match such a fee.
So, it’s clear that those at Old Trafford have got a lot to think about. Midfield additions are at the top of their priority list, but they may have no choice but to leave both Fernandes and Anderson behind in favour of another option.
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Man Utd exploring deal for £60m star
According to The Athletic, Man United are also exploring a deal to sign Alex Scott from Bournemouth this summer. The Englishman enjoyed an excellent campaign with the Cherries, who value him at £60m, and has done enough to enter the Red Devils’ radar.
He represents a cheaper option to Anderson and Fernandes without necessarily losing that key quality. There’s also a chance, with that asking price, that Man United could sign Scott alongside Anderson in what would be the perfect scenario for the two close friends. The Daily Mail’s Nathan Salt even went as far to say that the duo are “best mates”.
|
PL 25/26 |
Anderson |
Scott |
|---|---|---|
|
Minutes |
3,334 |
2,859 |
|
Tackles |
104 |
60 |
|
Pass accuracy |
85.5% |
84.9% |
|
Recoveries |
306 |
195 |
As midfield partnerships go, Anderson and Scott could be a transformative pairing for Man United, who would go from a side struggling to gain control to a dominating side in the middle of the park.
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Bigger talent than Fernandes: Man Utd in “active” talks to sign £70m star
It’s all beginning to heat up on the transfer front at Man Utd.