Man Utd are keen to open talks to sign a bigger midfield talent than Anderson

With Elliot Anderson knocking Morgan Rogers to his knees in Thursday night's Europa League semi-final, Manchester United fans will be salivating at the idea of ​​the midfielder moving to Old Trafford this summer.

However, even the most hopeful fans are unlikely to believe he will be heading to the red side of town this summer.

United will battle Manchester City for his signature in the coming months and with a £100m price tag set, it sounds like he is the player City will lose out on.

They are reportedly in Anderson's driving seat at the moment, meaning Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co will need to look elsewhere.

Elliot Anderson's alternatives to Man United

Fortunately for the Red Devils' recruitment team, their summer shortlist is quite large.

Casemiro has confirmed that he will leave Manchester this summer and as Manuel Ugarte is expected to follow him out the door, two midfielders are needed.

It is widely thought that one of those could be a big name like Anderson or Newcastle's Sandro Tonali while the other could be a cheap acquisition in the mold of Angelo Stiller at Stuttgart or Ederson at Atalanta.

Also on their radar is Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni but prize-winning away from the Spanish capital is thought to be an incredible challenge.

Therefore, United have now set new goals and are calling the name of Ayoub Bouaddi.

Currently playing for Lille in France, he has been declared as the most talented young player since Eden Hazard which will tell you how good he is.

According to reports from France, United are intensifying their campaign to sign Bouaddi, intensifying efforts to meet with the player's camp.

That being said, they face competition from two Champions League semi-finalists, Arsenal and Bayern Munich.

Previously said to be worth around £43m, claims in France also suggest that United may use Sir Alex Ferguson in negotiations to lure the player, something they did when trying to convince Jude Bellingham to come to Old Trafford.

Why Bouaddi is a bigger talent than Anderson and Tonali

Described as one of the “best midfielders in the Premier League” by England manager Thomas Tuchel, there are few better signings for Man United this summer than Anderson. There's a reason City want him and there's a reason he's in a good position to start alongside Declan Rice at the World Cup.

Aged 23, the Nottingham Forest star has had a fantastic year. He is a player whose value will increase.

That said, it hasn't been a normal route to the top for someone who was on loan at Bristol Rovers and was thrown to one side by Newcastle when they sold him to join PSR.

This was Anderson's real breakthrough campaign, however, and it made those at Toon incredibly jealous.

That said, Bouaddi looks like a generational talent. For this 18-year-old player, there has never been a loan in the lower leagues. He was not rejected by his boyhood club.

Instead, the youngster has matured as one of Lille's top men for over a year now. Bouaddi made his debut for the French national team at the age of 16, for three days, and since then, he has gone from strength to strength.

He played 24 Ligue 1 games last season, starting 11 and started seven of the nine Champions League games.

Already making an impact on the continental stage at a young age, the youngster is getting even better this term. He started 25 times in the French top flight and played in all but two of Lille's Europa League games before they lost to Aston Villa in the last 16.

So, what makes him “one of the best young talents in world football” as celebrated by journalist Ed Aarons?

A “classy” midfielder in the eyes of Como scout Ben Mattinson, the youngster can't press and is a fantastic developer of the ball, whether carrying or playing on the lines.

He's a smart player, finishing the same number of tackles per 90 (2.4) to Anderson's 2.8 but he's also good at handling. In Mattinson's words, he “dives with the ball in the same way” that Frenkie De Jong and Tijjani Reijnders do.

This is a player on the ground at his feet. Writer Harvey Diamonds suggests that Bouaddi “will become one of the best midfielders in the world within the next five years.”

Everyone you talk to, everyone who looks at him thinks that this Lille player is a top talent. It's worth investing now before the price tag gets too high.

He may not be a natural replacement for Casemiro but he boasts the ability to play anywhere in midfield, if Bouaddi is available it is too good an opportunity to turn down.

This is a player that both Anderson and Tonali may pass in the future.