Elliot Anderson is going to be a hot name in the summer transfer market, but a genius double-swoop for free can put Man Utd in the lead for him.
Defensive midfield is Man Utd’s top priority in the upcoming summer, but it is far from the only one.
With four competitions awaiting the club next season, they need more than just two defensive midfielders, both of whom cost a fortune.
In such a scenario, they need to pad out the squad with smart signings, and there’s nothing smarter than getting two Premier League-proven players for free.
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Is Elliot Anderson the standout midfield option for Manchester United?
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Elliot Anderson duels
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Man Utd must explore Harry Wilson and Marcos Senesi deals
The free transfer market is not something Man Utd have explored under Ineos, because players in that market are generally the antithesis of what Ineos want in a target.
They’re generally on high wages or advancing in age, or their salary demands are just too high since there’s no transfer fee involved.
However, in Fulham’s Harry Wilson and Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi, two of the best free transfer options in recent times are on the market.
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Their contracts end in the summer, and it’s happening at the end of a season that has been elite for both.
Wilson has scored ten goals and provided six assists in 31 league games, while Senesi has been the first name on the teamsheet for Bournemouth.
Wilson is 29, and Senesi is 28, so neither is at an age where their decline is imminent. If anything, they are at their peak right now.
More importantly, Wilson adds to the thinning attacking ranks, and his versatility plus set-piece mastery add to a skill set that is the new “meta” in the current Premier League.
Senesi is a centre-back, so United will be more judicious about how much they want to spend on him, since their CB crop is loaded already.
Either way, the opportunity to snap up two elite Premier League stars for free doesn’t come around often, so they need to take it if the finances work out.
Wilson’s signing will position Man Utd for Elliot Anderson
Anderson is the crown jewel of the summer transfer window, and if Forest don’t get relegated, they will spark a bidding war for his signature.
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There is no chance that United get Anderson without breaking their club transfer record, especially before the deadline they’ve set for themselves.
Considering the fact that a marquee midfielder is just the start of United’s summer shopping, they need to be smart with how they spend the rest of their money.
Effectively, they would be looking to spend 50% of their budget on the marquee midfielder, and round out the squad with multiple players for the remaining 50%.
That job gets a lot easier if two players get signed for less than 5% of that remaining 50%, because there’s no transfer fee involved.
The wage question will be a major issue in either negotiation, but if the club can come to an agreement over it, then United’s window will be off to a massive start.
Three Premier League-proven players for the price of one. Deals don’t come better than that.
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