{"id":254830,"date":"2026-07-27T05:15:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T05:15:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/27\/how-man-united-could-sign-their-answer-to-elliot-anderson\/"},"modified":"2026-07-27T05:15:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T05:15:14","slug":"how-man-united-could-sign-their-answer-to-elliot-anderson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/27\/how-man-united-could-sign-their-answer-to-elliot-anderson\/","title":{"rendered":"How Man United could sign their answer to Elliot Anderson"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Manchester United<\/a>\u2019s plans for the summer transfer window have been simple – land multiple players who can improve the club\u2019s central midfield department.<\/p>\n

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INEOS had huge plans to overhaul such an area and hand Michael Carrick<\/a> the calibre of player capable of filling the void left by the recently departed Casemiro.<\/p>\n

However, their efforts have not been as successful as they first anticipated, with the majority of main transfer targets joining other clubs in England\u2019s top-flight.<\/p>\n

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\n \n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans are the two players who have arrived at Old Trafford this summer – but the supporters will no doubt be gutted after missing out on one long-standing target.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Missing out on Anderson showcases INEOS’s struggles at Man United<\/strong>
\n <\/h2>\n

Before the summer window even opened, United were laying the foundations to secure a move for Elliot Anderson<\/a> from fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest.<\/p>\n

Key work was conducted behind the scenes, but INEOS refused to match the Reds\u2019 asking price, which stood at way over \u00a3100m – resulting in the Red Devils pulling out of a deal for his services.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Elliot-Anderson\"\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

As a result, rivals Manchester City swooped in and landed the England international for a reported \u00a3116m – subsequently breaking the club-record fee spent on a player.<\/p>\n

Missing out on his signature has once again highlighted the hierarchy\u2019s biggest struggle at Old Trafford – their reluctance to spend big on proven and top-quality talents.<\/p>\n

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The club-record signings by the PL big six<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

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Team<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

\n

Player<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

\n

Fee<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Man Utd<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Paul Pogba<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u00a389m<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Tottenham Hotspur<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Sandro Tonali<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u00a3100m<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Arsenal<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Declan Rice<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u00a3105m<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Manchester City<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Elliot Anderson<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u00a3116m<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Chelsea<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Morgan Rogers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u00a3117m<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Liverpool<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Alexander Isak<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u00a3125m<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

The Red Devils are now the only club within the big six not to spend at least \u00a3100m on a single player, often missing out on key targets to teams in and around them in the division.<\/p>\n

Anderson\u2019s move to the Etihad is the latest example of Carrick\u2019s men missing out on their main targets, subsequently having to sign players who are further down their shortlist.<\/p>\n

His comments about City being the \u201cKings of Manchester\u201d will no doubt have rubbed salt into the wounds of the Red Devils faithful after being unable to secure his signature.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n How Man United could sign their own Anderson<\/strong>
\n <\/h2>\n

Despite the aforementioned deals for Santos and Tielemans, United are desperately on the hunt to secure a move for a third central midfielder this summer.<\/p>\n

\u00a385m has already been spent on the two talents this window, but the need for another defensive option is craved by Carrick to complete his overhaul of the department.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Youri-Tielemans-1\"\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Countless other options have been considered since the opening of the transfer window, but none have been mentioned as much as Roma talent Manu Kone.<\/p>\n

Fabrizio Romano has constantly been covering the move and stated on his YouTube<\/a>: \u201cMan Utd have spoke to the agents of the player and they have held concrete conversations.<\/p>\n

\u201cMan Utd are yet to reach out to Roma because they are yet to decide which player they want as defensive midfielder. They have not sent an official offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite no offer yet being made for the French star, it\u2019s evident that the Red Devils are putting the groundwork in place to land the 25-year-old, who\u2019s valued at \u00a342m.<\/p>\n

Such a move could see Carrick\u2019s men land a player who could become his own version of Anderson, with Kone emulating the Englishman in starring at the recent World Cup.<\/p>\n

When comparing their respective stats from the recent tournament in the United States, the Roma star managed to outperform the new City man in various key areas.<\/p>\n

Kone achieved an impressive tally of 92% passes completed, whilst achieving a 71% long ball accuracy rate – two tallies higher than the Englishman.<\/p>\n

The former of the two figures placed him in the top 10% of all players at the competition – highlighting his tremendous ability to be a tempo setter at the heart of the side.<\/p>\n

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\n \"manu-kone-france\"\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Without the ball, the 25-year-old also registered more interceptions per 90, whilst being dribbled past on fewer occasions – which could make him the perfect ball-winner for Carrick\u2019s side.<\/p>\n

Kone was arguably a cleaner ball-winner than Anderson too, subsequently committing fewer fouls and achieving a higher tackle success rate in the competition.<\/p>\n

Missing out on Anderson will be a bitter blow for the Red Devils faithful, but it\u2019s crucial the hierarchy continue to work tirelessly behind the scenes to land their next version of the midfielder.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Elliot\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Kone is seemingly high up on the club\u2019s shortlist at present and could even prove to be a better addition than the \u00a3116m star given the mammoth price difference.<\/p>\n

\u00a342m would be a phenomenal price point for a 25-year-old who\u2019s at the perfect age to reach the next stage in his development and could star at Old Trafford for many years to come.<\/p>\n