Manchester United’s great midfield overhaul is the story of the next summer window, but in the noise around Elliot Anderson and Carlos Baleba, the ideal option might just have emerged.
It’s a story that began last summer window but ended in anticlimactic fashion, when Man Utd’s short chase of Carlos Baleba ended in failure.
However, it was clear that the chase wasn’t shelved, just postponed, even though Baleba is making it difficult to ensure that with his poor form.
In the meantime, Elliot Anderson has become a force of nature and overtaken Baleba as the preferred target, which is why the chase needs to shift to his ideal midfielder partner.
Who better for the role than a player who has now followed in his footsteps?
James Garner playing at Old Trafford
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Elliot Anderson’s Man Utd audition repeated by James Garner
Matheus Cunha joined Man Utd on the back of a maverick display at Old Trafford last season, which might just have sealed the deal for his move.
Ruben Amorim on Matheus Cunha
Cunha is a maverick. Cunha does things that are hard to find in some players because he plays with the ball, but he has an aura that can do something to opponent’s heads and that is really important.
Ruben Amorim
Similarly, Elliot Anderson was the talisman in Forest’s 2-2 draw against United, albeit not at Old Trafford.
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Baleba failed his Man Utd audition by putting in a poor performance in Brighton’s 4-2 loss, but James Garner followed Anderson’s footsteps instead of Baleba.
United’s interest in Garner is developing this season, and his performance at a ground he once used to call home will do no harm to that interest.
He assisted Everton’s goal in the 1-0 win against United, and was generally the exact kind of composed and combative presence United need in midfield.
Perhaps most importantly, his Everton contract expires next summer, so United can plug the hole next to [potentially] Anderson for free!
Considering how costly Anderson could end up being, it would be a remarkable bit of business to overhaul the midfield by effectively two players for the price of one.
Add to that Baleba’s poor form, and how Brighton’s pricey stance on him is unlikely to soften, it becomes clear that Garner as the market opportunity makes perfect sense.
Garner fits well next to Anderson stylistically
The logic behind signing Garner as Anderson’s partner isn’t just limited to current good form or the finances involved.
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Stylistically, Garner is a perfect fit next to Anderson, who is a box-to-box dynamo, recently compared to Bryan Robson.
Garner can easily sit back and circulate the ball, shielding the back four with his positioning, while also progressing the ball with his passing.
Anderson can be the beast in both boxes who is as press-resistant as Garner, which will make United’s buildup so much better than it is right now.
The defensive acumen of Anderson is already elite, while Garner is more like Michael Carrick in that area, where he isn’t “seen” working hard and getting dirty, but he gets the job done.
Compare that to Baleba, who’s not just in poor form, which raises questions about his mentality, but he’s also a more limited player on the ball, and there can already be comparisons drawn to Manuel Ugarte.
Anderson-Garner is the ideal United midfield, and it can be had for the price of one.