Manchester United flew out of the blocks this window by signing Ederson, but since then, they’ve been stuck due to a deal they have no interest in.
The signing of Ederson is not official yet due to the player getting a late World Cup call-up, but it’s a formality now.
Ederson has confirmed the deal is all but done, and Man Utd have already moved on to Mateus Fernandes negotiations.
However, they are now stuck in waiting mode due to a deal they have interest in; such is the game of dominoes afoot in the market.
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Man Utd waiting on Elliot Anderson’s transfer
Elliot Anderson was Man Utd’s first-choice transfer target this summer, but they ruled themselves out of this race once the prices skyrocketed.
Currently, Man City lead the race for his signature, and have already had two bids rejected for him, both north of £120m.
It’s clear that he wants to go to City, who have a bottomless pit of cash, so this move will happen. United have no interest in this deal anymore.
However, this is such a big domino waiting to fall that the rest of the midfield market is stuck in limbo.
Once Anderson moves, his fee will set the benchmark for the rest of the midfielders on the market, and it is also likely to coincide with the end of the World Cup.
There are a lot of midfielders looking for a move/in the market, like Alex Scott, Carlos Baleba, or Adam Wharton, and Anderson’s transfer will set things in motion.
In fact, United’s own target, Mateus Fernandes, is likely to fetch West Ham their asking price if Anderson moves because they can simply point to the Forest transfer as a benchmark.
Man Utd need to negotiate multiple deals
The danger with negotiating one deal at a time is becoming clear for United now that Anderson is holding the whole market hostage.
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United can’t afford to get stuck on Fernandes and set aside every other deal, because they no longer control every aspect of this deal.
They need to start talks for other players in the background, prepare contingencies in case they don’t match Fernandes’ asking price, and cover all their bases.
Even if it means getting non-PL players, it will be worth it, because the sums getting thrown around for relegated players are a joke.
Waiting for Anderson to make a decision on his future is like waiting to be robbed by these relegated clubs. United need to end this game one way or another.
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