Manchester United should secure this midfield star, who could become a key man at Old Trafford
With the January transfer window fast approaching, the midfield is a key area which Ruben Amorim will be looking to upgrade if Manchester United are to take their recent form and unlock a new level.
The Red Devils have found some rhythm in recent weeks for the first time in the Portuguese’s reign, but that has not completely eradicated certain holes which persist within the squad. United must upgrade from a position of relative strength compared to where they have been for the vast majority of this calendar year.
With Casemiro ageing and Bruno Fernandes at times lacking the legs needed to sit in midfield, a dynamic partner for the Red Devils captain must be top of Amorim and Ineos’ wish list in the winter. One young star has come to the fore in recent weeks as an Old Trafford transfer target, and the club must act quickly to secure a signing who has shades of a former club hero.
Elliot Anderson could become Amorim’s Park Ji-sung
The player in question is Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Elliot Anderson, who has drawn huge amounts of praise so far this season after bursting onto the international scene during the September qualifiers. Just four months after winning the U21 Euros with the Young Lions, the 22-year-old is now thought to be a sure bet to be on the plane for the World Cup in North America next summer.
Anderson is reportedly valued by Forest at a massive £75 million, a price which interested parties may be forced to cough up for a man who could be a lynchpin of the England midfield for the next decade.
The former Newcastle United academy graduate is blessed with several great qualities in midfield, including his blend of calmness in possession, defensive awareness and ability to drive forward, but it is his supreme stamina in the middle of the park which is arguably his greatest attribute. This not only makes him exactly what the Red Devils need, it could draw comparisons with former fan favourite Park Ji-sung, who played an often unsung but nevertheless crucial role at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Anderson could do the work of two players in the Red Devils midfield
United fans will remember how key a component Park was to the successful Red Devils side of the late 2000s, and so to say that Anderson has the potential to reach those levels is a compliment of the highest order.
The South Korea international is remembered for his tireless work ethic and selflessness for the team, also possessing underrated technical qualities on the ball and a tendency to score big goals at important moments. But it is one particular display of relentlessness in the Champions League which is often cited by former team-mates as the day which summed up his time at the club.
“Ji-sung Park, you wanted him in your team,” said Rio Ferdinand, as he described a last 16 tie with AC Milan in 2010. “I remember he man-marked [Andrea] Pirlo out of a game once. Pirlo was waking up in the middle of the night and Ji was at the bottom of the bed waiting for him, giving him nightmares! Ji’s a fantastic player and a real players’ player. He was greatly appreciated by the other lads and the fans over the years.”
Anderson still has a way to go if he is to reach the levels of the former South Korea captain. The 22-year-old has yet to develop a goalscoring knack, nor has he become such an expert in man marking as was the former United man. But the potential is undoubtedly there for Anderson to carry the workload of two players in the United midfield, in a way the versatile ‘Three-lungs Park’ once did. Playing alongside more creative-minded Fernandes, such a work-rate is all the more crucial to help Amorim’s side reach a new level.
Anderson certainly also possesses Park’s unmistakeable qualities of humility and selflessness on the pitch, too, something which was reiterated by England manager Tuchel after he made his Three Lions bow.
“First of all, he’s very talented. He has a certain edge,” said Tuchel. “He is like a tough midfielder. You don’t want to fight with him. You don’t want to make him angry on the pitch because he will fight back. This is good. He has a physical note to his game. He loves to pass and has a high volume. He is a very mobile midfielder. Humble boy. Very calm and knows his role. He is happy to help everyone out on the pitch, so he fits in very well at the moment.”
Such is the demand for top-quality midfielders in the current market, Anderson would arrive at Old Trafford with a price tag experienced by few of United’s greats in his position. But if he is able to take this newfound pressure in his stride as well as he has everything which has come his way in his short career so far, the Red Devils could be looking an indispensable component of their starting XI for many years to come.
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