Elliot Anderson is quickly emerging as a top transfer target for Manchester United in 2026.
Manchester United failed to strengthen in central midfield in the summer despite concrete links to Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton in the final weeks of the window.
Ineos decided to walk away from the table and wait until 2026 to bring a new midfielder into Ruben Amorim’s squad.
With Casemiro’s contract expiring and Kobbie Mainoo exploring a loan exit, signing a midfielder in 2026 is now United’s top priority.
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United have been linked with Elliot Anderson following his impressive form with Nottingham Forest and England.
Elliot Anderson compared to Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Anderson’s style of play makes him an ideal fit for Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 shape. He has the athleticism to cope with the Premier League and the technical ability to thrive in a double pivot.
According to FBref’s profiling of Elliot Anderson, the player with the most comparable style of play is former United playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Both Anderson and Mkhitaryan rank extremely high for successful take-ons, progressive carries and shot-creating actions.
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Where Anderson sets himself apart is in his defensive actions, where he ranks in the top 20 percent for tackles, aerial duels and clearances. In contrast, Mkhitaryan hardly cracks the top 50 percent.
Mkhitaryan, 36, now at Inter Milan, plays in a more advanced role to Anderson. Yet the Forest star impressively has comparable stats in the final third.
Jose Mourinho was a big admirer of Mkhitaryan
Mkhitaryan joined United in 2016 under the tenure of Jose Mourinho and spent two years at Old Trafford.
The Armenian scored 13 goals and provided 11 assists in 63 appearances for the Red Devils.
During his time at United, Mourinho was full of praise for Mkhitaryan. After his arrival in 2016, Mourinho called Mkhitaryan ‘top-class’, as per The Independent.
However, their relationship soon fell apart and Mkhitaryan complained about Mourinho’s treatment in his published book.
It ultimately led to the swap deal involving Alexis Sanchez making the move to Old Trafford…
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