Elliot Anderson was Man Utd’s dream target, but he seems Man City-bound, so Louis Saha has identified a clear alternative who has ‘everything the club needs’.
Nottingham Forest’s asking price for Elliot Anderson was always likely to make him a difficult player to sign.
The only way that deal could have happened is if Anderson chose Man Utd, which hasn’t happened, so Ineos aren’t entertaining a bidding war.
It leaves a hole in the plans for a marquee midfielder who truly replaces Casemiro, and former Red Devil Louis Saha has just the player in mind.
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Man Utd’s perfect Elliot Anderson alternative
A major reason why Anderson was so attractive as a transfer target is that he is a jack of all trades and excels at the key things as well.
United need someone who can do a bit of everything, excels at some things, and most importantly, won’t shirk away from the pressure of playing for Man Utd.
Who better for such a fiercely scrutinised role than someone who’s already flourished in a pressure-cooker atmosphere?
In an interview with Compare.bet, Louis Saha named Fede Valverde as the perfect Elliot Anderson alternative for a couple of reasons.
He said: “Man Utd need a balanced midfield. You already have Kobbie Mainoo, who is a top player and seems to grow with confidence, but I still think we need something a bit more experienced, a bit more aggressive, and with a bit more ‘legs’ that could represent that dominance in midfield. It’s extremely important.
Federico Valverde would be everything the club needs. For any team to challenge for the Premier League title, you need a top-level centre midfielder. They need to be aggressive and show leadership at the same time to really dominate in that midfield. That experience can’t be replaced by youth and talent.
“That has been represented by Casemiro. He’s not maybe the perfect player, but in this position, he’s one of the best. And definitely, if United want to compete, they need that.”
Man Utd will be all over Fede Valverde if he’s available
Saha’s suggestion is a no-brainer call, but how realistic that is also remains to be seen.
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Valverde is not the first Real Madrid player to be linked with a move to Old Trafford, as Aurelien Tchouameni was another one.
Florentino Perez put a stop to that one, but Jose Mourinho’s arrival as the Real Madrid manager is sure to shake up a few things.
It remains to be seen if there are any casualties of such a shake-up, but if there is even the slightest hint of Valverde being available, United will be all over it.
As Saha says, he has everything, from defensive tenacity to offensive excellence, and he combines that with an elite mentality at a top-level club.
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