Man United emerge as "serious contenders" to sign "fantastic" Premier League Elliot Anderson alternative
Man United have been linked to signing Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Elliot Anderson.
Ruben Amorim has seen a tough start to the new season, with his latest result, a 3-0 defeat to Man City, putting a lot of pressure on him. Amorim’s Manchester United job is under scrutiny at Old Trafford, and the United boss will be desperate to turn things around as fast as possible.
If Amorim does last until January, one position he will be keen to improve will be in midfield, as there is clearly a hole in United’s starting XI alongside Bruno Fernandes. They have been linked to signing Nottingham Forest and England star Elliot Anderson to fill said hole.
However, reports have said that Anderson is very happy at Forest, and neither he or the club want a sale in January. It is understood that he could cost as much as £70m, meaning that Man United will potentially have to go after alternative and more affordable options instead.
Man United “serious contenders” to sign Brentford star
Amid the high asking price for Anderson, and the player’s lack of desire to leave the City Ground, Man United will be looking for other options in terms of a new midfielder in January, and it seems that a name at Brentford is attracting their attention.
According to Ukrainian journalist Volodymyr Zverov, via Sport Witness, Man United are keen to sign Brentford’s Yegor Yarmolyuk. The Journalist was quoted as saying: “I know about the very serious interest of Manchester United in the Ukrainian footballer.
“United definitely need to fix the problems in the midfield. And Brentford isn’t the club that will do everything in their power to keep Yarmolyuk, and they are ready to consider offers for the midfielder from £30m. United can be called a serious contender for Yarmolyuk.”
The 21-year-old is well-regarded as a future star at Brentford, and nobody was more keen on the midfielder than former boss Thomas Frank, who is now at Tottenham. BBC Sport quoted him in May when Yarmolyuk signed a new six-year contract with the Bees.
Frank said: “He’s a fantastic pressing player, he’s dynamic, and he covers so much of the pitch. He’s strong in duels and he has a drive to run forward. I like the way he distributes over the pitch.”
Which other midfielders could Man United sign?
It is understood that the Red Devils still have a longstanding interest in Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, however, due to the Seagulls’ £100m plus asking price for Baleba, he would more likely be a target for the 2026 summer transfer window rather than in January.
Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is also of interest to United, although he is expected to command a fee of at least £60m in the transfer window. Furthermore, Wharton could choose to go elsewhere, as the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City have both been linked to the young English midfielder, too.
Yarmolyuk would be a sensible and well-priced January addition, especially if United were then able to get Baleba in the summer, because the two midfielders would be a superb long-term solution to Man United’s issues in the middle of the park.