Man Utd will not be signing Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson in the January transfer window, according to reports.
The Red Devils spent most of their summer budget on attacking players with Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko all joining for big fees.
Man Utd fans and former players were frustrated by the club’s failure to bring in a new midfielder as it was an obvious area for improvement last term.
The recruitment team did make contact over potential deals for Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba but neither deal came to fruition.
England international Anderson has been heavily linked with a move to Man Utd but talkSPORT‘s chief football correspondent Alex Crook insists it’s not a deal that will happen in January.
Crook reckons a deal for Gallagher would be more likely, he said on talkSPORT: “It’s not going to happen in January.
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“I’d be surprised if United do much in January, maybe Conor Gallagher on loan, if he’s available, is a possibility. And Conor, to try and force his way back into the England squad might be up for that.
“It’s a big jump, isn’t it, for Elliot Anderson? Bearing in mind they paid [Newcastle United] £35m for him.
“Is he a £100m player? I think he’s a really good player, not sure he’s quite worth that much.”
Speaking alongside Crook, former Chelsea and West Ham defender Scott Minto said on Anderson: “In terms of the price tag, why would you, if you’re Forest, chuck out £100m? If someone’s willing to pay that, then fine.”
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Minto added: “But let me tell you, he is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League right now.
“Honestly, if you look at the way he’s playing, look how he’s grown in the England shirt…
“It’s a tough time at the moment, being a Forest player, but he’s always wanting the ball, he always protects it.
“He knows what to do, he’s happy if he’s got someone right next to him to still receive it.
“His vertical passes… If you look at his stats in terms of the Premier League, not just with Forest, he’s such a good player, honestly. And getting to the point where…
“I likened him to a previous world-class player, and I’m not saying that. Just in terms of style, not in terms of levels.
“But top-class players play football at their pace, and you’ve got everyone running around, and yet he looks like he’s two or three gears slower, and yet he’s still controlling the game.
“Let me tell you, he’s one of the best out there at the moment.”
