Rio Ferdinand has urged Manchester United to sign Elliot Anderson this summer, prioritising the Nottingham Forest midfielder over Newcastle United duo Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali. United are actively seeking a central midfielder, and the 22-year-old Anderson, valued at £80 million by Forest, features prominently on their shortlist.
Ferdinand's Preference for Anderson
Speaking about the transfer targets, Ferdinand expressed his belief that Anderson is the ideal fit for United. 'Beginning of the season everyone was talking about Carlos Baleba, he seems to have gone off the boil a little bit form wise,' Ferdinand said. 'Elliot Anderson, he seems to have jumped to the front of the queue. I think he’s a wonderful player.'
Ferdinand highlighted Anderson's character and playing style as key attributes. 'I think Elliot Anderson is the right type not only of player but character, I think he’d be a good addition to the squad,' he added. 'Tonali is a big talent that everyone is talking about, Guimaraes is another big talent that everyone is talking about, but I just think the type of midfielder United need is somebody who is a bit more all-action, who can cover ground, who is dynamic, who is robust, strong, who can drive a team. Right now Anderson seems to be ticking those boxes.'
Ferdinand also hinted at other young talents he is monitoring but declined to name them to avoid alerting rival clubs. 'But I think there are a few other young guns out there who I won’t mention their names yet because I don’t want anyone else to get on that scent,' he said.
United's Midfield Search
Manchester United have been linked with several midfielders, including Brighton's Carlos Baleba, who attracted interest last summer. Reports also claim the club has already made an approach for Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes. However, Ferdinand believes Anderson should be the priority, especially with Manchester City also showing interest in the Forest star.
Howe Dismisses Guimaraes Links
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe previously dismissed speculation linking Guimaraes with a move to United as 'nonsense' and 'disrespectful'. 'I don’t even know how to respond to that. I don’t even think I should because it’s a waste of my energy,' Howe said. 'For me it’s a nonsense story. To say our captain is in discussions with another club is totally disrespectful to Bruno more than anything else. He is totally committed here.'
Howe stressed that such stories are premature, noting that transfer speculation intensifies in the summer window. 'In the summer, you can understand those stories a little bit more because the transfer window is open,' he added.
