Wilcox opens talks to sign £50m star for Man Utd

The Manchester United persuasion’s euphoria might have been tinged with a rueful edge as England overcame Mexico on the most altitudinous of World Cup knockout games.

Elliot Anderson starred alongside Declan Rice, and his all-action style and remarkable ability to overcome adversity was on full display once again. The Red Devils wanted that skill set, but pulled out of a deal to sign the Three Lions star when Manchester City made it clear they were willing to eclipse the £100m mark to sign the Nottingham Forest midfielder.

A £38m move for Ederson looked to have been in the bag, speculation has mounted regarding the Brazilian’s move to Old Trafford, with a medical still not completed. United sources are adamant that all is well, though.

Even if the Red Devils get a move for Ederson over the line, Michael Carrick is going to need more to get his permanent tenure up and running. An Anderson-esque signing, perhaps?

Manchester United were resurgent in the Premier League last season, turning things around when Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim in January.

The gains made must not stagnate. United need to strengthen across a number of areas, with midfield a priority. Anderson might be off the cards, but a number of exciting alternatives have been shortlisted.

With Casemiro having said goodbye to the Theatre of Dreams side, the need for an all-action midfielder has been heightened, and while Jason Wilcox and Co will not add Anderson to the ranks, United have identified the perfect alternative.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United are in contact with the agents of Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, encouraged by the Blues’ stance on the Brazilian prospect: they would be open to selling him, should United place an offer in the region of £50m.

Romano stated in full: “What happened in the last two or three days is that Manchester United made contact again with the agent of the player. United called the agents of Andre Santos to understand this situation.

“At the moment, Man United have not contacted Chelsea with an official bid. But what I can add to this story is that Chelsea don’t consider Andre Santos untouchable. If United put good money on the table, United can sign Andre Santos.”

The 22-year-old would be open to joining United, and while he is still growing into his skin in the Premier League, there is so much potential that United could harness, landing their own version of Anderson.

Why Andrey Santos can be Man Utd’s own Anderson

Santos only started 13 Premier League games for Chelsea last season, but for Strasbourg the year before, during an instrumental loan spell, he was hailed as a “one-man war machine in midfield” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Anderson is a consummate superstar, not just accomplished in the Premier League, but thriving on the global stage too. There’s no question that United have missed out on a special player, but in Santos, they could develop their own version for a portion of the price.

Santos played on the periphery at Stamford Bridge last season, but if we scale it back and look at how he played in France, we see that he does indeed have an Anderson-like approach to the midfield game that Carrick’s system needs to fire on all cylinders.

A combative and high-energy midfielder, a “duel monster” in the words of Como scout Ben Mattinson, Santos also has a natural well of creativity to draw from, and an eye for goal besides.

Whether United manage to grow Santos into a free-flowing Premier League sensation remains to be seen, and it will be a real test of Carrick’s coaching ability. However, he will be up for the task, with Santos already demonstrating at top level his capacity to rival the likes of Anderson.

Well-rounded and emphatic in attack, Santos is only considered expendable by Chelsea because the Blues are expecting a long-term future with Moises Caicedo, who is effectively keeping his counterpart out of the team.

The same happened with Anderson at Newcastle. Eddie Howe’s side needed to sell due to PSR concerns, and Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali’s partnership was scuppering the youngster’s chances of playing regular football.

Once upon a time, Newcastle made a mistake when they sold Anderson to Nottingham Forest for what is now a comparatively cheap fee. He is now one of the best in the business.

If Man United raid Chelsea for Santos, they could emulate that deal.