Elliot Anderson is the priority transfer target at Man Utd, but Rio Ferdinand says there’s a non-PL midfielder that the club absolutely can’t afford to lose out on.
The midfield market is rich with options in the summer, but it’s also prohibitively expensive for only the rich as well.
Players like Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba, Sandro Tonali, and Elliot Anderson are all expected to cost north of £80m.
In such madness, Rio Ferdinand thinks he’s found the “absolute truth” of a player who Man Utd simply must buy.
Kees Smit trains with the Netherlands squad
Photo by Koen van Weel / ANP / AFP via Getty Images
IF Elliot Anderson signs for Man City, who would be your TOP PRIORITY midfield alternative?
Elliot Anderson knee slide for Nottingham Forest.
Photo by Lee Parker – CameraSport via Getty Images
Rio Ferdinand says Man Utd must buy Kees Smit
There has been so much focus on Premier League-proven midfielders that it is forgotten how some of the best in the league came from outside of England.
Rodri is the gold standard who arrived at Man City from Spain, so having a PL-proven player isn’t an exact science for success.
Enter Kees Smit, the 20-year-old Dutch midfielder from AZ, who has found a huge fan in Ferdinand.
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United have been linked to Smit before, and could well be in the race for his signature in the summer, which will be intense, but Ferdinand thinks United should go all-in for him.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: “He’s one you go, I’m buying him. It doesn’t have to be right for now. I hope he comes in and takes the world by storm. But if we’ve got to wait 6 months to a year for him, I do not care because we can’t let him go elsewhere. Keith Smith is the truth.”
“This kid, I’ve seen him play a couple of times now, and that’s all I need to see. And I’ve seen the clips. I’ve spoken to some guys in Holland, friends. The kid’s got it.”
Man Utd can repeat their 2025 transfer template
Smit is an exciting talent, but United wouldn’t be wise to put all their eggs in the basket of a 20-year-old who has never played in England before.
Which former target would be the perfect solution in midfield this summer if we could go back in time?
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What they should do is repeat the 2025 transfer window template, where the PL-proven signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were supplemented by high and low-cost bets on Benjamin Sesko and Senne Lammens, respectively.
Buying a marquee, PL-proven midfielder will take the pressure off of Smit, like Mbeumo and Cunha helped Sesko.
In addition, Smit will be much less costly than a PL-proven player, unless it’s someone like Joao Gomes, as a result of Wolves’ relegation.
Still, you’re buying sky-high potential in Smit, so he can be like the Leny Yoro of midfielders if Ineos rate him that highly.
Either way, repeating the 2025 window by adding exciting talent to a pool of ready-made players is the way to go. Smit fits neatly in the former category.
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