Over the weekend, it became clear that Manchester United’s hopes of signing Elliott Anderson were completely over.
Truth be told, they’ve been around for a while. Manchester City are in pole position to sign the Nottingham Forest player, with a transfer fee reportedly now agreed.
Anderson is set to move to the Etihad for a whopping £116 million, making him the second-most expensive transfer in Premier League history alongside Florian Wirths. No pressure then, Elliot?
Fortunately for United, they have had this vibe for some time and have targeted a number of alternatives on the market.
Why missing out on Elliott Anderson is a blessing for Manchester United
Don’t get me wrong, Anderson is a tremendous talent. He is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. There’s a reason a team like Man City moved heaven and earth to sign him this summer.
But £116m is an astronomical sum. That’s £11m more than Declan Rice, who was arguably a better player than Anderson when he joined Arsenal.
The truth is, if I’m going to charge such a high price, I want a complete article, and I want someone who’s been at the top for years. Anderson isn’t like that. His performance at the World Cup also shows that. He has struggled to get into games and is not as convincing as he was in a Forest shirt.
All in all, that’s why United have done incredibly well in putting together a £39m move pending approval for Atalanta’s Ederson signing. United are under no illusions that they will have to pay a premium for a second midfielder.
Who could that be? Well, whoever it is, they come cheaper than Anderson, thus leaving enough in the kitty to strengthen other positions as well.
One potential replacement is Matheus Fernandes. He is estimated to be worth £85 million and could potentially join either Tottenham Hotspur or United.
Providing an update on the West Ham star this week, Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg said on social media that United remain “determined” to sign the player and have not given up despite competition from Spurs.
Plettenberg concluded by revealing that negotiations with the Hammers are ongoing, but that personal terms have already been agreed.
Comparison of Fernandes and Elliott Anderson
With Anderson, United would have found an elite midfield player who could significantly raise the ceiling of Michael Carrick’s team.
The England squad ticks a lot of boxes, especially with Casemiro’s departure. Ironically given Manuel Ugarte’s criticism, Ulgaouyan was the only player in the Premier League last season to make more defensive contributions per 90 minutes.
The Forest star has had a special season, with manager Thomas Tuchel hailing him as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League”. Based on that, it’s no surprise that he partnered with Declan Rice at the World Cup.
A complete midfielder, Anderson is an incredible screener in front of the back four, but is also very effective in the final third. He scored a great goal against Man City, but it was just one of four goals he scored throughout the 2025/26 season. The 23-year-old also recorded four assists. The Geordie-born superstar is a complete midfielder.
However, Fernandes is also trending in the same direction. At just 21 years old, United could sign one of Europe’s best up-and-coming midfielders here. He’s a player who, even if he’s not a star yet, has a very good chance of becoming a star in the future.
Former midfielder Joe Tesem explained it perfectly: “He (Fernandes) is becoming the ultimate Premier League midfielder. He plays like a Premier League player, he passes like a Premier League player. He is fast like a Premier League player. He moves very well in midfield.”
That can very easily describe Anderson. Both are technically stable, great at breaking up plays, and both are incredibly hard workers.
Midfielder movement distance – 25/26 PL | |
|---|---|
player | Number of kilometers traveled |
1. Elliot Anderson | 318.6 |
2. Bernardo Silva | 304.9 |
3. Ethan Ampadu | 302.2 |
4. Enzo Fernandes | 294.1 |
5. Thunder Verge | 289.6 |
6. Martin Zvimendi | 282.4 |
7. Bruno Fernandes | 282.3 |
8. Declan Rice | 281.7 |
9. Mateus Fernandes | 279.3 |
10. Granit Xhaka | 277.1 |
Indeed, City’s record signing topped the Top League’s km charts this season, and Fernandes wasn’t far behind. In fact, he was very close to Rice, the benchmark for Premier League midfielders.
They are very good at advancing plays when the runners don’t have the ball, as well as when they do have the ball. Last season, Anderson had 1.13 progressive carries per 90 minutes, compared to Fernandez’s 1.10.
This is certainly good news for teams looking to upgrade from the departing Casemiro. The Brazilian was an exceptional winner in duels, but he no longer had the energy to face the pitch. For comparison, he scored just 0.35 points per 90.
So while Anderson was undoubtedly a dream target, the Red Devils were never going to come close to his £116m fee. Signing Fernandes for a more reasonable but still expensive fee of £85m would certainly be the next best option.
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