Manchester United line-up to sign ‘world’s best commercial’

Casemiro may not have scored a goal in his last appearance for Manchester United at Old Trafford, but he was sent off in typical Casemiro style.

The Brazilian was given a yellow card for a late tackle just before Michael Carrick gave him a standing ovation. It was the 39th caution of his United career.

Unfortunately, the supporters didn’t care. They are just sad that they will never again see United’s red shirts, which won them the Champions League so many times.

Replacing him will be a tough task, but on Sunday, Elliott Anderson proved why he should be the one to replace him.

Manchester United are preparing to sign a player bigger than Anderson

Anderson is a top target for Man United’s reinforcements. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll sign him.

Indeed, the England international has attracted interest from a number of Premier League clubs, most notably Manchester City, who are reportedly in pole position to sign the midfielder for a £100m-plus transfer fee. Judging by his performance on Sunday, the all-action star is certainly worth it.

With City in hot pursuit, Jason Wilcox and others will likely need to cast a wider net. This explains why they tried to agree personal terms with the likes of Atalanta’s Carlos Baleva and Ederson.

All eyes are also on Real Madrid’s Aurélien Choameny, who could seek an escape from the Spanish coast this summer after a dressing-room row with teammate Federico Valverde.

Speaking of the Uruguayan sensation, he is another player United are keeping an eye on.

That’s according to Football Insider, which reported earlier this week that Valverde “ranks high on the target list”. That said, there are some complications here, not least the potential asking price, but also Jose Mourinho’s arrival at the Bernabéu.

Given the midfielder’s importance to the Madrid side, it has been suggested that Mourinho could prevent his exit. He intends to give Valverde a clean slate despite his recent fight with Choameni.

Numbers: Valverde vs. Anderson

Anderson has been really impressive this season, but his performance at Old Trafford on Sunday was on another level. It was perhaps his best display to date against Forest.

The 23-year-old may not have scored, but he put in an incredibly eye-catching performance, picking up two assists from the right wing. Morato’s first goal was a great cross and his second was wonderfully incisive as he slotted the ball into the path of Morgan Gibbs-White.

Anderson is more than just a passer. He eats up the ground, wins the ball back, and keeps the team energized. He had a whopping 110 touches over the weekend and also contributed 11 times on defense.

But he’s not Valverde. He’s not a player who’s been playing at the top level for years. He is not a key player in the Real Madrid team. In the words of Carlo Ancelotti, the Uruguayan superstar is “the best midfielder in the world”.

It’s hard to argue with that. Watch him dominate Manchester City in the Champions League and score a truly outrageous hat-trick.

Those were the 27-year-old’s only goals in continental competition this term, but taking into account his six domestic goals, he has nine goals overall. He also recorded 13 assists in all competitions.

Like Andersson, Valverde is the definition of an all-action player, but he has been a regular for Real in recent years and if he is available, there are not many better signings for Wilcox and Carrick this summer.

Madrid’s superstar has been involved in 13 more goals than Forest’s main player. His end product is better, as is his shooting, creativity and overall defense.

Anderson is better when it comes to progression, but Valverde reigns supreme in other areas. He is far more involved in offensive situations and is nevertheless shutting down more threats per 90 minutes.

Granted, he doesn’t recover the ball as much, but Forest have to defend far more in the league than Madrid.

Signing the England midfielder would be a fantastic signing, but with City leading the race, it probably won’t be a bad thing. Especially if Carrick and the team end up signing Valverde instead.