Manchester United icon Gary Neville has urged the club to sign Nottingham Forest midfield mainstay Elliot Anderson.
Michael Carrick and Manchester United have a huge task at their hands this summer, as they need to bring in an ideal replacement for Casemiro, who played his final home game at Old Trafford this Sunday. With the Brazilian international leaving, United legend Gary Neville admitted that replacing him will be a massive challenge for the Red Devils.
The 51-year-old has urged the club to sign Nottingham’s Elliot Anderson, as he believes he is an outstanding candidate to replace Casemiro. The 23-year-old put up another impressive display on the weekend when they squared up against United away from home.
While speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, the United legend said via Sky Sports, “Manchester United need to look at players that are either very young and have a hunger to grow or Premier League-ready players and Elliot Anderson is that,”
He went on to admit, “won’t be an easy bargain to strike”
“What I like about Anderson is the fact that he looks forward and he contributes. The two crosses for the goals, were exceptional.”
Not just the two assists against United, Anderson has been a standout performer for the Tricky Trees throughout the ongoing campaign. He has been involved in 49 matches across competitions and has contributed towards nine goals.
He has been equally effective in both the holding and the central midfield roles. Not only can he defend, but he can also control the tempo of the game and create chances for the attackers. Neville explained that the 23-year-old’s willingness to push harder and play on the front foot is what makes him stand out.
Neville wants Anderson at Old Trafford
He is someone who is willing to take an extra risk to help his team get on top. He is already a Premier League-proven player. As a result, the 51-year-old wants his former club to break the bank on Anderson. He might not be a like-for-like of Casemiro, but the English international does have the quality needed to help United cope with Casemiro’s absence.
Neville further added, “I see too many crabs playing central midfield. You can’t have too many people who play five-yard passes back and sideways. You need to put players in there who are going to look forward and punch passes through the lines and have their head up.
“Elliot Anderson can do that. He can take set-pieces. So for me, he would be an outstanding candidate to come here.
“But if you believe what you hear, Manchester City also want him, so if it’s a straight fight between the two Manchester clubs, it’ll be interesting to see who he chooses.”
The Newcastle graduate has done enough over the last two seasons to suggest that it won’t be a problem for him to adjust to the demands of playing for United. Given his age, he could prove to be a great long-term acquisition for them.
With Casemiro leaving and Manuel Ugarte likely to be offloaded, the Red Devils should have enough funds to strike a deal. The main problem for them could be competing with rivals Manchester City, who are also keen on the 23-year-old’s signature.
