Manchester United will be looking to sign a new midfielder in the next few transfer windows. There are several names on their list, but two continue to emerge as realistic options: England duo Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson.
Neither player will come cheap for the Red Devils. Both Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest could demand up to £100m for the midfielder. Given the fact that England’s star player will likely be seen as a prize money asset for the club, it’s no wonder they want so much money.
Price aside, it’s easy to see why United would want to sign one or both of their midfielders.
What Wharton and Anderson bring to United
One man who knows what makes a good United midfielder is Paul Scholes. Now, the legendary Red Devils midfielder has said that the two are “close”, suggesting there isn’t a huge difference in quality.
However, they have slightly different skill sets. Palace’s number 20 is a master of the ball and is great at getting out of tight spaces. He has also completed an average of 5.81 progressive passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season.
He works as a midfield controller, but Scholes asked: “Can he roam around the pitch?” This suggests that Wharton’s game may be lacking in physicality. Anderson is more athletic and physical, perhaps best highlighted by his 8.25 ball recoveries per game, which puts him in the top 1% of Premier League midfielders.
However, the Forest star also shows plenty of quality in possession. He has played 8.31 progressive passes per game this season, and assists like Chris Wood’s earlier in the season show his quality.
After all, both England duos are great players. Still, United could save a lot of money by selling an in-house star.
United’s in-house version of Wharton and Anderson
It’s been extremely frustrating for United fans to see homegrown superstar Koby Mainu not getting any game time this season. The 20-year-old has only played 212 minutes in the Premier League.
It has even been reported that he is leaving Old Trafford. Mainu is wanted by several clubs on loan, with reports in Spain recently suggesting that Real Madrid could pay £79 million to bring him to the Bernabéu.
Perhaps, instead of making such a hasty decision and selling a valuable academy graduate, United should use Maynou instead. It was no surprise then that England team-mate Declan Rice said the Three Lions players liked the fact that they had “his leadership, the way he handles the ball and the comfort he has”.
Described by Statman Dave as a “maestro” of midfield, Mainu possesses many of the desirable qualities of a modern-day midfielder in an elite team. A great ball carrier, he scored 1.25 successful take-ons per 90 minutes last year, ranking him in the top 8% of European midfielders.
Mainoo key statistics for the past 365 days | ||
|---|---|---|
State (per 90) | number | percentile |
key pass | 1.4 | 80th place |
tackle | 2.5 | 77th place |
Take-up completed | 1.25 | 92nd place |
progressive carry | 1.99 | 84th place |
Statistics from FBref | ||
It’s easy to see that Mainu is a hybrid of Wharton and Anderson. As Rice pointed out, he’s incredibly comfortable on the ball. United’s number 37 is a progressive player who excels in tight spaces and is creative in the final third, while also winning the ball efficiently.
Another former United midfielder, Nicky Butt, said the Red Devils would “go and buy” Mainu if he went on to play for a club such as Palace. It would therefore be ironic that United would sign him and sign either Wharton or Anderson instead of an academy graduate.
Perhaps manager Ruben Amorim should trust the 20-year-old and give him a role on the wing instead of giving his all to one of these midfielders, which is what every United fan wants.
Manchester United already have bigger prospects than Semenyo brewing in Carrington
The Manchester United star has impressed this season.
