Michael Carrick has praised Elliot Anderson as Manchester United’s top transfer target heads for Old Trafford with Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
United want Anderson as the cornerstone of their midfield rebuild to replace Casemiro this summer, but are aware that Forest will demand in excess of £100million for the England star and Manchester City appear favourites to sign him.
While Casemiro will say farewell to Old Trafford in United’s final home game of the season, the man who could fill the Brazilian’s shoes next season will be lining up against him for Forest.
‘He’s done well,’ said Carrick who, like Anderson, also started out at the Wallsend Boys Club on Tyneside.
‘I think he’s a big part of their team. He offers so much and they’ve got a really talented and dangerous team. They’ve had a good season to get to the (Europa League) semi-finals and just fall short. But you can see obviously he is an important part of their team.’
United could be in the market for three midfielders this summer with Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton, Sandro Tonali, Aurelien Tchouameni, Ederson, Mateus Fernandes, Alex Scott and Tyler Adams among the other names under consideration.
Michael Carrick had nothing but flattery for Man United’s top transfer target Elliot Anderson
The England star has been instrumental for Nottingham Forest and comes with a £100m price tag to match
As well as Casemiro, Sunday’s game will also be the last at Old Trafford for Tyrell Malacia before he leaves as a free agent, while other players like Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee and Altay Bayindir face an uncertain future at the club this summer.
Although the temptation to give them a send-off might impact his team selection, Carrick stressed the importance of finishing the season well and holding onto third place in the Premier League.
‘It always gets to this stage of the season where there’s a few uncertainties,’ he added. ‘Whatever this situation, however you finish the season, I think there’s always a case of contracts or individual agendas, if you like, or roles.
‘All I can say is we want to finish the season strong. We’ve put ourselves in a good position and we’ve achieved something to a point. Home and away it doesn’t matter, we feel that responsibility and pride in ourselves and for the football club that we want to finish strong so we’ll put a team out to do that.’
However, Carrick says Shea Lacey could start the final game away at Brighton next week. The teenage winger was sent off on his home debut against Brighton in the FA Cup in January in United’s last game before Carrick took over.
Lacey will be in action for the Under-21s in the Premier League 2 Play-off Final at Brighton on Saturday night, so he cannot be in the senior squad to face Forest.
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But Carrick confirmed that he will be in his plans at the Amex Stadium on the last day of the season. ‘One hundred per cent,’ said the United boss. ‘It’s something we would love to happen and not so much in terms of getting younger players involved.
‘The fact that the (Under-21s) game is tomorrow night for them, they’ll be heavily involved in that and I think they should be.
‘Then, of course, the week after leading to the Brighton game, we’ll reassess. It’s important we finish strong as well, so we’ve got responsibilities to do that.
‘We’ve got to get the balance right, but it’s a massive part for me and for this football club to try and bring the younger players on and give them opportunities to see what they can do, for sure.’
