Manchester United set £100m ‘warrior’ as top target

Pessimism has been a constant theme at Manchester United in recent years, but that only speaks to the extraordinary job Michael Carrick has done since replacing Ruben Amorim in January.

United’s players won’t be gearing up for the summer with medals around their necks, but they are in a strong position to fix the Amorim era with a top-four finish in the Premier League to qualify for the Champions League.

Of course, the uncertainty surrounding the dugout needs to be resolved before looking ahead, but that doesn’t mean the Red Devils aren’t already planning an exciting return to European competition, and INEOS are clearly prepared to spend big on an elite midfielder.

Manchester United hold talks to sign Premier League midfielder

Casemiro has never played more football in a single season. However, the 34-year-old, who made a huge comeback at Old Trafford, is out of contract this summer and is currently in talks to sign with MLS side Inter Miami.

Given the fragility of Manchester United’s existing midfield, it is clear that signing a top midfielder will be a priority for INEOS this summer, and while Newcastle United pair Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali have been praised, it is actually the former Magpie who has emerged as United’s clear preference.

Nottingham Forest’s Elliott Anderson has emerged as a priority target for the Red Devils, United correspondent Samuel Luckhurst has confirmed.

Arsenal, and Manchester City in particular, have a vested interest, but United are looking to build their recruitment around him in order to make him a mainstay in midfield.

Forest are demanding £100m for Anderson. Evangelos Marinakis won’t be able to command nine figures if they are relegated, but whatever happens, this will be a notable move given the close battle between the two Manchester giants.

How Elliott Anderson will improve Manchester United

With Casemiro off, Manchester United will need to sign a top-class replacement. Is Anderson the right person for the job? England’s young star is certainly heading in the right direction, with manager Thomas Tuchel praising him as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League”.

Anderson is nearing the end of his second season at the City Ground after leaving Newcastle, where his academy was forced out due to PSR concerns.

This was the perfect move for him as he was aware of his dynamic and destructive qualities in the engine room.

Last season, Anderson was a key part of a team that exceeded expectations and entered European competition. He is currently fighting at the center of a relegation battle and hopes to punch higher up the ranks, but this has proven to be a useful learning curve for one of the country’s most talented midfielders.

Tonali is not a player that can be defined by data, but rather by empirical evidence. After all, how can you convey elegance and style through numbers?

Still, Anderson’s all-action presence is exactly what Man United need, and given that both midfielders are priced similarly, Anderson is the man to sign, with analyst Ben Mattinson praising him as a “do-it-all midfield warrior”.

Casemiro is a strong and combative player, so it makes sense to prioritize signing similar players who cover different aspects of the core game.

Whether Manchester United will win the race remains to be seen for the next few months, but there is no longer any doubt that Anderson is INEOS’ top target and if they beat Man City in his preferred fashion, it would underline their new direction towards England and a return to the top of the European pyramid.

It’s not kitchen sink time yet, but there’s no doubt that a dogfight could develop. So it’s nice to see the foundations already in place.