The £39m star is now looking to sign for Man Utd

With Michael Carrick now set to be offered a permanent gig at Manchester United, attention is turning to the summer transfer window.

Last year, they were still able to attract players like Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko to this team even though they did not have Champions League football.

So, this summer, with a place at Europe's top table assured, expectations are high as to who they can lure to Old Trafford. Is Elliott Anderson in the cards?

After his performance against Nottingham Forest at the Theater of Dreams last Sunday, supporters will be optimistic. However, boasting a £100m fee, it's a move he's likely to pass up, especially with Manchester City still lagging behind.

Here's what they can sign instead.

Man United are looking at other options for Anderson

Man United need a midfielder, make no mistake about it. Casemiro will leave, reportedly to Inter Miami, and after that he will leave a big hole in the engine room. It's one that can be filled brilliantly by Anderson.

Their short list is something of a long list with several options for Jason Wilcox. That includes Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali, with reports this week suggesting United are already in contact with the right agencies to understand how much it would take to get him out of St James' Park.

In an ideal world, they would buy within the Premier League. Explains Anderson's links with Tonali, and Brighton's Carlos Baleba. He has been on personal terms with the Red Devils for almost a year now.

That being said, it sounds like the most likely addition now will be Brazilian midfielder Ederson.

Talk of a move for the Atalanta star has really grown in recent weeks, with some reports claiming he has agreed a deal with United. Club-to-club discussions are yet to begin but Fabrizio Romano has now realized how crucial the next few days could be for the player's future.

Speaking on social media on Thursday, Romano wrote: “It will happen in the coming days about Éderson's future with Manchester United interested.”

The transfer reporter went on to say that the 26-year-old is “open” to joining and could cost around £39m.

How does Ederson compare to Casemiro and Mainoo

Ruben Amorim, what in the world were you doing? It can be said that the Portuguese was not fit when he played in English football but Kobbie Mainoo's non-play was a crime that could not be dismissed.

The academy graduate rose to prominence under Erik ten Hag, not only scoring in the FA Cup final but also becoming a regular for England.

However, under Amorim, he really struggled for game time. Before the young coach was given the boot in the new year, Mainoo did not make a single league start in 2025/26. It beggars belief when you look at his form since Carrick came in.

Since the arrival of the interim manager, the 21-year-old has started all but one of the league games, the 2-1 defeat at Leeds when he was unavailable due to injury.

Alongside Casemiro, they quickly formed the best midfield partnership in the league. Alas, that will be sorted after this Sunday.

So, why would Ederson fill the gap that his fellow Brazilian is set to leave behind? Well, you're a hybrid of the two.

Analyzing the data, we can see that like Casemiro, Ederson is a fierce duel winner. There are only 0.06 that separate themselves in terms of the volume of tackles and encounters they make per 90 minutes. And they have the same number of 90 shots.

Mainoo isn't the second big winner, but the upside is the progression of play and giving more energy to Carrick's side. That's not something Casemiro does very well now that he's 34 years old.

In that regard, the veteran midfielder averaged just 0.35 carries per 90 carries. Fortunately, like Mainoo, Ederson is strong in this area of ​​the game. There isn't much that will separate the two from running and carrying.

Sure, Atalanta's midfield hero may not be Anderson, but he's still an incredibly impressive footballer. Hailed by Italian content creator Damiano Coccia as “the most powerful midfielder in the world”, there's a lot to like here. With the excellent qualities of Mainoo and Casemiro, there are few better options on the market right now for what United want and need.