Manchester United’s plans for this summer are clear. They need to recruit well in the center of the pitch.
There is no doubt that Casemiro will be absent as his contract with MLS side Inter Miami expires, but Manuel Ugarte could also leave.
United have been aware of the need for a midfielder for some time, and their list of targets is actually quite long.
That includes names such as West Ham’s Matheus Fernandes, and there is also interest in Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali. Other options include Lille wonderkid Ayyoub Bouadi and Bournemouth’s Alex Scott.
But the number one target is undoubtedly Elliott Anderson.
Latest updates on Manchester United’s signing of Anderson
If Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Jason Wilcox could hand-pick any player to bring to Old Trafford, it would definitely be Anderson.
The midfielder made a real breakthrough at the City Ground last season and was only recently named ‘one of the best players’. the best Premier League midfielder, England manager Thomas Tuchel.
He is set to play a key role for Tuchel, with the World Cup opener against Croatia already underway.
If the Three Lions star continues to have a strong tournament run, his price tag could reach £120m.
The problem with this asking price is that even the mighty Man Utd can’t come close to Anderson. This explains why oil-rich Manchester City are in pole position to sign him.
Why is there so much interest in the 23-year-old? Well, it looks like he can do it all. In the 2025/26 season, ironically, only Manuel Ugarte made more defensive contributions per 90 minutes than the Forest star.
Additionally, no midfielder in the entire division ran more distance throughout the entire campaign. A hard-working, hard-working midfielder, he’s probably the closest thing to Roy Keane at his finest, just without that no-nonsense attitude you’re going to get.
But with City closing in, United look set to miss out and have to look elsewhere.
A deal for Atalanta star Ederson is reported to have been agreed but not yet finalised, while negotiations with West Ham continue with Fernandes. But what if the Red Devils already sell their own version of Mr. Anderson?
Academy talent takes center stage at World Cup after leaving Manchester City
It’s safe to say that Anderson’s introduction to international tournament soccer wasn’t easy.
England weren’t terrible, in fact they were quite the opposite against Croatia, but Anderson and midfield colleague Declan Rice struggled a bit to sort things out and break out of the situation in the middle of the park.
One game against Croatia won’t decide Anderson’s World Cup, but one player who really stands out is Zidan Iqbal.
The Iraq national team player only came on as a substitute in the first World Cup match against Norway, but started from the off in the second match against France in the United States.
How did Iqbal play? Well, he was very impressive in the central areas against the likes of Manu Khorne and Adrien Rabiot.
Zidane Iqbal vs France | |
|---|---|
Play time (minutes) | 90 |
touch | 85 |
exact path | 66/71 (93%) |
accurate cross | 1 |
key pass | 1 |
shot | 0 |
dribbling success | 1/2 |
carry | 32 |
Contribution in defense | 5 |
successful tackle | 1 |
Number of balls collected | 5 |
won a duel | 5/9 |
As BBC sportswriter Umir Irfan said during Iraq’s 3-0 defeat early on Tuesday night, it’s a real mystery why Zidan Iqbal isn’t playing at a higher level domestically.
The 23-year-old, once on record at Carrington, left England three years ago to sign for Dutch side FC Utrecht in a deal worth just £850,000.
Since moving to Dutch shores, Iqbal has not clearly explained why United should keep him. He has only played 47 games since joining Utrecht. In fact, his recent performances have been so poor that he will spend the final months of 2025/26 with Utrecht’s reserve team.
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Nevertheless, as he showed against the last World Cup finalists, there are real players out there, players who share similar characteristics to the aforementioned Anderson.
During the match, the Iraqi player showed great performance in his midfield role. Similar to Anderson, he kept things moving well in the central areas with a 93% pass completion rate.
Like Anderson, he handled the defensive duties well, contributing in five defenses and winning five duels. Additionally, he only gave up the ball seven times and had 85 touches, the second-most on the team. This was also higher than Rabiot and the same number as Kone.
Anderson is clearly the better footballer, but perhaps Man United should have given Iqbal more chances.
Before leaving England, he played just once for the first team at Old Trafford. At one stage he was ahead of Koby Mainu in the academy pecking order, and former Sky Sports reporter Melissa said: “He’s got tons of technical quality, skill and intelligence.”
Talent scout Jacek Kulig likened him to Frenkie de Jong, and his future looked bright before he left for the Netherlands. But now he will look reinvigorated to play for his country in North America this summer.
For a confident duel winner like Anderson, a player who is progressive and can get forward and hit the shuttlecock in front of the last line, United may have some regrets about the way they let him go.
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