REUTERS/Chris Radburn
It's safe to say that Manchester United made the right decision when pulling out of the race to sign Elliot Anderson this summer, the England international instead joining Manchester City.
No doubt, Anderson would have been a fantastic signing, but the Red Devils would have hamstrung themselves, had they forked out £116m on one midfielder.
England's Elliot Anderson celebrates after the match as England qualify for the round of 16 stage of the World Cup
The former Nottingham Forest man was described as "one of the best midfielders in the Premier League" by England manager Thomas Tuchel last season, and he is, but Michael Carrick will be delighted with the manner in which his side moved on and signed several exciting fallbacks.
How Man United moved on from Elliot Anderson
He's a centre-midfielder of a different style, but Youri Tielemans has been the perfect counterpoint in Man United's midfield across the first month of the season, opening doors for Kobbie Mainoo to develop as an all-action player.
It's been the summer of midfielders at the Theatre of Dreams. Andrey Santos arrived first, joining from Chelsea in a £50m deal. He's not the finished article, but the Brazilian has such potential as a world-class player, someone cut from the same cloth as, say, Arsenal's Bruno Guimaraes.
Carlos Baleba finally, finally, got his move to Manchester. The Cameroonian signed from Brighton for a £70m fee after his move last summer collapsed. He hasn't made his debut yet as he recovers from an ankle injury.
REUTERS/Jon Super EDITORIAL
Some might be frustrated that other areas of the field were not addressed. Lewis Hall is still Newcastle United's admired left-back, for example. However, this was a box ticked off for Carrick and co, with INEOS revamping the frontline last year.
Anderson's arrival would have precluded the requisite rebuild required at the centre of the Old Trafford pitch. However, he still would have been a welcome addition, and it's a shame that United have already sold an English midfielder who shares a similar profile and maybe even outperformed the City superstar across several key metrics last season.
Man United have already sold their own Anderson
Anderson has grown into one of the Premier League's finest midfielders, and he was always going to be a shoo-in at the heart of Tuchel's England midfield at the World Cup this summer.
However, another similar star was frustrated to have been overlooked. Everton's James Garner was indeed aggrieved to have been grounded as the Three Lions jetted off to North America.
Manchester City's Elliot Anderson during the warm up before the match
Garner, 25, also cut his teeth with Nottingham Forest across two seasons before leaving Man United and signing for Everton in an initial £9m move in 2022. It was Erik ten Hag who oversaw that one. He has ebbed and flowed on Merseyside, but last year emerged as a first-class Premier League midfielder.
Part of the Carrington get, Garner's stock might not be as high as Anderson's, but he presses a fair of the same buttons, actually outperforming his countryman across a number of areas in the league last year.
And he also attracted interest from Aston Villa this summer. Perhaps he wouldn't have scratched the same financial surface as Anderson, but BBC reporter Matt Jones said he should be "£80m as a minimum in the current market".
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Garner offers something different to Santos, Tielemans, Baleba and even the well-rounded Mainoo. His defensive acumen is applied with even more intensity than Anderson at Forest, roving the City Ground pitch and sweeping up danger like an out-of-control hoover.
His creativity is an underrated aspect of his game. He outperformed Anderson in that regard. In fact, Garner boasts one of the most complete skillsets in the Premier League, and his inclusion at United could facilitate the strengths of the stars around him.
Oftentimes, young prospects need to fly the nest in order to develop and realise their potential. But even so, Garner's quality for Everton in the Premier League is exactly what this United side needed when they stepped into the summer transfer window.
They could have saved a pretty penny by placing a bit more faith in the England international's capacity to become a superstar.
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