Man Utd hold talks to sign “the best DM in the world”

Elliot Anderson is Manchester United‘s top midfield target this summer and what a signing he would be.

This is a player described by England boss Thomas Tuchel as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League” and it’s hard to argue against that viewpoint.

Within the space of the 2025/26 season, he has cemented himself as one of the finest in the country and is surely a shoo-in to start alongside Declan Rice at the World Cup.

Say what you like about Kobbie Mainoo but Anderson deserves to be in there ahead of him.

That being said, what if United had a better midfielder on their radar? Well, stand by…

Man United in talks to sign big-money midfielder

Come the end of the summer transfer window, it’s likely you will be sick to death of the word ‘midfielder’. That’s because it’s the main focus for the Red Devils heading into the upcoming window.

While strengthening across the board will be key, the side will not progress without replacing Casemiro and simply bolstering their central ranks.

Sandro Tonali has been on their list of targets but it’s widely thought their interest in the Italian has cooled over recent weeks, perhaps put off by a reported £100m price tag.

Anderson may well fetch a similar fee but with interest from Manchester City, the fight for his signature is less than straightforward.

The race for Aurelien Tchouameni‘s is unlikely to be easy either. Reports emerged last weekend suggesting that he was one of the players on the club’s shortlist for the next window and an update has now emerged courtesy of TEAMtalk.

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A number of their additions haven’t lived up to expectations.

They report this week that two teams in the Premier League, Liverpool and United, have held talks with the player’s camp this year to understand the Frenchman’s situation.

Tchouameni is not champing at the bit to leave Real Madrid and he’s been one of their best players this season so there is absolutely no guarantee he’ll be on the market.

That said, Real are looking to ‘evolve’ their midfield with club president Florentino Perez casting his eyes in the direction of City star and Ballon d’Or winner, Rodri. That could well open the door for United to pounce on Tchouameni.

Why Tchouameni could be a better signing than Anderson

This summer the target for United is to sign two midfielders. Casemiro is leaving at the end of his contract and with Manuel Ugarte expected to depart Old Trafford as well, it leaves a gaping hole in the centre of the park.

Yet, with that in mind, if Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co are to sanction a big-money move this summer, it must be on an out-and-out holding midfielder.

Anderson is great. He ranks second in the Premier League for defensive contributions per 90 minutes with 13.9 and completes on average 64.3 passes per game, the second-highest number of any midfielder in the league behind Rodri (76.5). To suggest he’s everywhere would be putting it lightly.

Yet, this is no Casemiro. He’s a bit more forward-thinking than that. He doesn’t just sit at the base of the midfield. The 23-year-old likes to get forward as well. He’s cut from a similar cloth as Kobbie Mainoo in that regard and, well, there is no room for two of those. United have reportedly dropped their interest in Adam Wharton for a similar reason.

Tchouameni, however, would give you the perfect balance in the middle of the park. With Bruno Fernandes leading the charge at the top of the midfield, Mainoo shuttling about in the middle and Real Madrid’s French star dominating at the base, this would immediately become one of the best trios in the league.

Celebrated as “the best defensive midfielder in the world” by one of his former teammates, Chema Andres, the 26-year-old has been near ever-present in the engine room for Real this term. He’s started all but one of their Champions League matches and started 27 of the 29 LaLiga games he’s been available for.

To rubberstamp his qualities, Tchouameni ranks among the top 5% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles and interceptions this season. He’s registered a whopping 4.07 per 90 minutes. He’s also one of the best midfielders on the continent when it comes to aerial duels. He’s in the best 6% in that regard, winning 2.48.

The fact of the matter is, this is an elite duel winner. He may well only make 6.2 defensive contributions a match in Spain’s top-flight, but a reminder, he plays for a team that let’s be honest, does not do an awful lot of defending. The same cannot be said of Forest.

Yet, in comparison to Tchouameni, Anderson lags behind for some of the key metrics associated with a holding midfield player. He makes 2.45 tackles and interceptions per 90, placing him in the top 36% of positionally similar players in Europe. He wins 1.83 aerial duels to rank him in the best 14%. That final metric is still impressive but it’s behind the Madrid superstar.

Without question, if United could get their hands on the Forest midfielder, it would be a fantastic acquisition. Yet, whoever the new permanent manager will be needs an elite holding player to replace Casemiro. Tchouameni is precisely that.

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