If it’s an Old Trafford audition, Elliott Anderson passed with flying colors on Sunday afternoon, with Manchester United’s likely target looking typically impressive at the heart of Nottingham Forest’s midfield.
Forest equalized with Morato’s wicked cross from the right, who again smashed the ball into the area to find fellow World Cup hopeful Morgan Gibbs-White to make it 3-2.
These two magical moments highlighted the 23-year-old’s growing strength. It was a fitting performance on the day United bid farewell to current midfield star Casemiro.
Did the Brazilian’s emotional and tumultuous send-off sway Anderson in any way regarding his future destination? Or will Geordie join rivals Manchester City this summer as expected?
Anderson vs Casemiro – 25/26 | ||
|---|---|---|
anderson | Statistics (*per game) | Casemiro |
37 | game | 34 |
36 | begins | 33 |
4 | the goal | 9 |
4 | assist | 2 |
8 | A big opportunity has arisen | 4 |
1.2 | Pass accuracy* | 81% |
1.4 | Key pass* | 1.1 |
2.7 | Tackle* | 2.6 |
1.1 | Intercept* | 0.9 |
1.1 | Dribbling breakthrough* | 1.5 |
55% | Total Win Duels* | 53% |
Either way, the Red Devils shouldn’t let their interest in him dictate this summer, as they have plenty of other priorities.
Wilcox’s Man United to sign Premier League star for £70m
Anderson was serenaded by United fans outside the Theater of Dreams at the weekend and also had a brief word with full-timer Bruno Fernandes.
It was hard to see a flicker of emotion, a wink or even a knowing glance from the former Newcastle United man, who showed little indication that he would be playing under Michael Carrick next season.
The mooted asking price of £120m could also be prohibitive for the likes of Jason Wilcox, especially in other areas of the squad that need reinforcements, whether it’s on the left wing or left-back.
Wilcox is leading United’s interest in Newcastle star Lewis Hall to replace Luke Shaw, talkSPORT reports, with the youngster’s future at St James’ Park uncertain.
Wilcox is a big fan of the 21-year-old, and the Magpies could face a serious battle to keep him, as well as Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, according to reports.
Other reports suggest Hall, who is set to join Anderson in Thomas Tuchel’s side this summer, could be signed by the Tynesiders for around £70m in 2024 after originally costing £28m.
Why is Hall a better talent than Anderson?
As was clear from Sunday’s meeting with Forest, Anderson has had an excellent season at the City Ground and has emerged as a real figurehead alongside Gibbs-White, while also enjoying a breakthrough with the England squad in the autumn.
He was part of Tricky Trees’ upset run to the Europa League semi-finals, but if there is a potential concern with the deal it would be the lack of real experience at elite level for both club and country.
He has only made two Champions League appearances in his career so far, but has yet to be seriously tested in an England shirt alongside Koby Mainu, who was a standout young midfield talent at Euro 2024 just two years ago.
Paying such a high price for a player who is still developing is a gamble, and given his recent prowess in big games, the younger Hall may be a more reliable target.
In fact, the former Chelsea star most recently shone during Newcastle’s Champions League clash with Barcelona, and was hailed as the “anti-Lamine Yamal” by Spanish media at the time.
A great performance against arguably Europe’s leading talent led teammate Kieran Trippier to describe him as “one of the best left-backs in the world”, a huge compliment considering he is only 21 years old.
Like Andersson, his quality has been on display many times in recent games against Man United, with two of his three career goals coming at Old Trafford.
In the December encounter, for example, he was particularly heroic, completing six of his seven attempted dribbles, completing 15 passes into the final third and recovering the ball 11 times, despite the visitors’ defeat.
Injuries sometimes affected his Newcastle outings, but Hall continued to make 46 appearances in all competitions this season, largely making the left-back position his own under manager Eddie Howe.
What he may have over Anderson is his innate versatility, having featured regularly in central midfield for Chelsea since his teens and being very comfortable on the ball in either role.
Hall, who played 10 times in the Champions League this season, has shown what he can do against Europe’s elite, while Anderson has yet to prove that.
Given that the Newcastle man can operate as both a predatory left-back and a deep midfielder, Wilcox could be close to winning by bringing him into the squad this summer, potentially making him an even bigger priority than signing Anderson.
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