Man Utd hold talks to sign “world’s best DM”

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Man Utd hold talks to sign “world’s best DM”

Elliot Anderson is Manchester United’s best midfielder this summer and what he will be signing.

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

In the 2025/26 season, he has established himself as one of the best players in the country and is the player who will start alongside Declan Rice in the World Cup.

Say what you will about Kobbie Mainoo but Anderson deserves to be there before him.

That said, what if United had a better midfielder on their radar? Oh wait…

Man United are in talks to sign a big-money midfielder

By the end of the summer transfer window, the term ‘midfielder’ will probably be sick to death. This is because they are the main focus of the Red Devils heading into the next window.

While reinforcements across the board will be key, the side will not improve without replacing Casemiro and simply strengthening their central positions.

Sandro Tonali has been on the list of targets but their interest in the Italian is thought to have cooled in recent weeks, perhaps intoxicated by the reported £100m price tag.

Anderson may command the same fee but with interest from Manchester City, the fight for his signature is not straightforward.

List of Man United midfield players
The player	The club	Measurement
Sandro Tonali	Newcastle	£100m
Elliot Anderson	Nottingham Forest	£100m
Adam Wharton	The Crystal Palace	£80m
Carlos Baleba	Brighton	£80m
Aurelien Tchouameni	Real Madrid	£70m
Ederson	Atalanta	£44m
Angelo Stiller	Stuttgart	£43m

Aurelien Tchouameni’s race is unlikely to be easy. Last weekend there were reports that he is one of the players on the list of players to be selected by the team in the next window and now there is an update from TEAMtalk.

Man Utd’s most expensive signing ever

Most of their additions have not lived up to expectations.

This week they reported that two teams in the Premier League, Liverpool and United, held talks with the camp of this player this year to understand the situation of the French player.

Chouameni is not at all successful in leaving Real Madrid and has been one of their best players this season, so there is no guarantee that he will be on the market.

Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni

That said, Real are looking to ‘transform’ their midfield with club president Florentino Perez eyeing City star and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. That could open the way for United to raid Tchouameni.

Why Tchouameni would be a better signing than Anderson

This summer United are aiming to sign two midfielders. Casemiro is leaving at the end of his contract and Manuel Ugarte is expected to leave Old Trafford as well, leaving a gap in the center of the park.

Well, with that in mind, if Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co are going to sanction a big-money move this summer, it should be for an out-and-out midfielder.

Anderson is great. He ranks second in the Premier League in defensive contributions per 90 minutes with 13.9 and completes an average of 64.3 passes per game, the second highest number of any midfielder in the league behind Rodri (76.5). To suggest that he is everywhere would be an understatement.

Leaders in defensive contributions: Premier League
The player	DEFCON Stats (90)
1) Manuel Ugarte	14.5
2) Elliot Anderson	13.9
3) Florentino	13.3
4) Mats Wieffer	13.3
5) Rodrigo Bentancur	13.2
6) Andrew	12.8
7) Kevin Danso	12.8
8) James Garner	12.4
9) João Gomes	12.3
10) Rodri	12.3

However, this is not Casemiro. He thinks a little further than that. He doesn’t just sit at the bottom of the field. The 23-year-old also likes to go forward. He’s cut from the same cloth as Kobbie Mainoo in that regard, and there’s no room for two of those. United have reportedly dropped their interest in Adam Wharton for the same reason.

Tchouameni, however, can give you the perfect balance in the middle of the park. With Bruno Fernandes leading the way in midfield, Mainoo running through the middle and Real Madrid’s French star dominating the midfield, this could be one of the best trios in the league.

Hailed as “the best midfielder in the world” by one of his former team-mates, Chema Andres, the 26-year-old has been a presence in the Real engine room this season. He has started all but one of their Champions League games and has started 27 of the 29 LaLiga games he has been available for.

To reinforce his qualities, Tchouameni ranks among the top 5% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles this season. He registered a whopping 4.07 in 90 minutes. He is also one of the continent’s best aerial midfielders. He’s in the top 6% for that, winning 2.48.

The truth of the matter is, this is an elite duel winner. He may make 6.2 defensive contributions per game in Spain’s top division, but a reminder, he plays for a team that, to be honest, doesn’t do too much defensively. The same cannot be said for the Forest.

However, compared to Tchouameni, Anderson lags behind in some key metrics associated with a midfielder. He makes 2.45 tackles and interceptions per 90, which puts him in the top 36% of players in the same position in Europe. He wins 1.83 air duels to put him in the top 14%. That last metric is still impressive but behind the Madrid star.

Without a doubt, if United can get their hands on the Forest midfielder, it would be a fantastic thing. However, whoever becomes the new manager on a full-time basis needs an elite player to replace Casemiro. Tchouameni is exactly that.