England manager Thomas Tuchel has already made a sound assessment of Elliott Anderson, with the Nottingham Forest midfielder still linked with a move to Manchester United. Speculation surrounding Anderson and Old Trafford has been going on since last summer and resurfaced during the January transfer window.
United have been in the market for a midfield addition for quite some time, with Anderson’s name also being thrown around in the rumors.
Brighton’s Carlos Baleva, Wolves’ Joao Gomez and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton have all been named as potential United targets alongside Anderson in recent months.
Despite acquiring four players in the summer, United chose not to strengthen their midfield options. Reports now suggest that the Red Devils are looking to deal with the midfield player either before the February 2 deadline or during the summer.
It remains unclear whether Anderson will be pursued, with the Manchester Evening News reporting that there are suggestions that Forest managers could demand around £100m for the 23-year-old.
The Daily Mail report sheds further light on Anderson’s future, including Tuchel’s assessment of the midfielder, who is expected to manage England at this summer’s World Cup.
Tuchel is reported to have personally described Anderson as a “gift”, which could come as encouraging news if United remain genuinely interested in securing the England international’s place at Old Trafford. Anderson shined for England Under-21s last summer as the Young Lions defeated Germany in the Euro Under-21 Championship final in Slovakia.
Forest’s talent contributed to that decisive victory and it was precisely his performance that led to his call-up to Tuchel’s first team.
“It was a lightbulb moment,” a source close to Tuchel told the Daily Mail. “We suddenly realized that he was the answer to our problems.”
United could face Anderson before the end of the season, with the Red Devils set to face Forest in May’s penultimate Premier League game.
As for Tuchel, the England manager has emerged as a potential candidate to take charge of United next season.
Michael Carrick has been appointed interim head coach until the end of the season, and a number of names have already been floated as potential candidates to take over as manager, with Tuchel thought to be among them.
