A huge decision by Manchester United way back in 2022, which up until now has seemed like a mistake, may finally bear fruit for the club.
Elliot Anderson has started the season very strongly, so much so that England boss Thomas Tuchel has taken notice of his ability and included him in the national team for the first time in his career.
He has impressed Tuchel a lot, with the Nottingham Forest midfielder starting all of the last five matches, ahead of some big names such as Jude Bellingham and Adam Wharton.
Anderson bossed the midfield against Rúben Amorim’s Manchester United at the start of November, being a talisman for their rapid-fire comeback just after halftime that stunned the Red Devils.
United were already linked with Anderson, but his performance against Amorim’s side will have only strengthened United’s interest; however, United are not the only club interested in him, with his old club Newcastle United and league leaders Arsenal keeping their eye on him too.
United’s accidental masterstroke in 2022
Back in 2022, United decided to part ways with academy graduate James Garner, selling him to Everton for an initial fee of just £9 million. He’s now thriving under David Moyes for the Toffees, and United needs options in the midfield; this decision seemed to be a huge mistake.
However, with Anderson looking like he is on the way out of Nottingham, according to transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke, Garner has emerged as a replacement for him at Forest. Garner has also caught the eye of Newcastle, one of United’s rivals for Anderson’s signature.
Furthermore, before his permanent move to Merseyside, Garner spent two seasons on loan from United at Forest, where the player really started to shine, reaching 10 assists in his last season.
The England under-21s international also helped them get promoted to the Premier League; therefore, the player could still have a place for Forest in his heart, which would make Forest much more open to selling their England international, Anderson, to United.
Is Anderson the right fit for United?
Elliot Anderson has shown the Premier League what he is all about this season, with a great blend of arrogance, composure and team-play in his game. He is a great candidate to replace Casemiro at the end of this season, when the Brazilian’s contract expires.
The stats also back up this point, as this season for midfielders, he has had the most touches, most passes completed, most passes into the final third, most possessions won, most duels won, and most take-ons completed.
In almost every important stat for a deeper-lying midfielder, he tops the class in the league, making a great case for him being capable of filling Casemiro’s shoes.
Anderson has a similar profile to the Brazilian, also, with him being a very strong player who is disciplined when he needs to be, but can progress the ball up the pitch better than Casemiro.
The only issue with the player would be the price tag, with Forest quoting him at around £80 million, a huge price tag, but for a Premier League-proven player, it may just be worth it.
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