Which of Wharton, Baleba or Anderson Man Utd should prioritise signing? – ‘A game-changer for Amorim’

With Manchester United gearing up for a heavy rebuild of their midfield, TEAMtalk’s writers have debated which of their three primary targets they should put all their energies into signing in the January transfer window.

United’s focus for the next ‘two to three’ transfer windows will focus on rebuilding their midfield and providing Ruben Amorim with fresh legs in his engine room that can really help bring his 3-4-2-1 formation to reality.

While the Red Devils used the summer window to significantly enhance their forward line, our transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher has revealed that Manchester United next priority will shift entirely towards a midfield rebuild, with what is described as ambitious plans to offload high-wage veterans and inject youthful dynamism over the next two to three transfer windows.

With the likes of Casemiro and, potentially, captain Bruno Fernandes set to be ushered out, Amorim and Co. are making space for new, energetic options that would perfectly suit the double pivot role in his set-up.

And while those options will come at a premium price, Fletcher has confirmed that Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba of Brighton and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton are the three stars at the centre of that manhunt.

But which of the trio should they focus on first, and who should be the first addition through the door in the January window?

TEAMtalk’s writers have shared their opinions on who – and why – United should focus on signing first.

James Holland

United should prioritise the signing of Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton to elevate their midfield.

At just 21 years of age, he has – incredibly – already established himself as one of, if not the most composed player in the Premier League.

He seamlessly made the step up from Blackburn Rovers to Palace, and he can do so again by joining United – despite the huge pressure at Old Trafford.

Elliot Anderson gets more of the ball at Nottingham Forest, while Brighton’s Carlos Baleba is the most defensive option. But Wharton can do it all.

Even with the fewer passes he gets, Wharton is more effective than Anderson when playing the ball into the final third.

Anderson may be ahead of Wharton in the England pecking order currently, but I expect that to change in the long run. Wharton was held back by groin and ankle injuries last season, and he is starting to show his class again now that he is fully fit.

Steve Pearson

The real answer to this lies in which of the three is the most gettable.

Believe it or not, Man Utd are in with a genuine shout of qualifying for the Champions League this season. The lack of a European campaign will prove more and more advantageous as the season rolls on, and while United’s rivals labour with fatigue and injuries, the Red Devils should maintain a relatively clean bill of health.

To give Amorim the very best chance of snatching a UCL spot, United must prioritise the player who has the highest chances of actually moving mid-season. At present, that appears to be Carlos Baleba.

Both Fabrizio Romano and our own sources at TEAMtalk have confirmed Baleba’s head has been turned. United’s summer approach – which was made with one eye on unsettling the player – has succeeded and Baleba is now desperate to join Man Utd as soon as possible.

Of course, Brighton will put up a fight, but as we continue to see window after window, when a player decides it’s time to go, clubs often sanction a reluctant sale rather than retain a disgruntled star.

Can Man Utd afford Brighton’s rumoured £100m asking price without breaching PSR? Only if securing an instalments-based agreement. Over to you, Jason Wilcox…

READ MORE 🔴⚫ Adam Wharton v Carlos Baleba: The stats behind Man Utd midfield targets’ direct battle in Crystal Palace v Brighton

Fraser Fletcher

United should prioritise Adam Wharton for their midfield. He is everything that they are trying to build, and his energy and all-around abilities suit Amorim’s style to perfection.

He should, without question, be the first one in to kick-start their midfield restructure, and he has all the hallmarks of a future Manchester United captain.

While Palace will make a January sale difficult, quite simply, he is the single-most important player they should target this January – and it could be a game-changer for Amorim.

Harry Watkinson

All three players have the potential to become world-class, but I believe Adam Wharton has the highest ceiling of the trio.

His rise at Crystal Palace since his move from Blackburn Rovers in January 2024 has been meteoric. He stood out a mile as a teenager in the Championship and now, aged just 21, he makes playing in the Premier League look easy, rightfully earning a spot in the England team.

Wharton could prove to be a long-term upgrade on Casemiro. He reads the game brilliantly defensively, but also creates plenty of chances for his teammates.

The experience of winning the FA Cup with Palace last season will make him hungry for more trophies, and that is a reason why Ruben Amorim should push to add him to his squad.

James Marshment

Put brutally, all three players would improve this Man Utd side as it stands, and I still can’t get used to seeing Bruno Fernandes being crowbarred into a deeper role when his talents clearly lie further forward.

While I agree Wharton is the player who looks best suited to their system, I have a strong suspicion that Elliot Anderson is the player they will actually make a move for and have the best chance of signing…

Granted, Forest will not make life easy for United and they showed over the summer when Tottenham came calling for Morgan Gibbs-White that they won’t lie down easily…

But a club-record sale worth some £60m to £70m would be hugely difficult for even Evangelos Marinakis to ignore, and his sale would give Forest the funds to reinvest in a squad that feels like it needs a fresh injection of something.

For Anderson himself, a move to Old Trafford will hold enormous appeal, and he would walk into their starting line-up, bringing much-needed energy and running to their midfield.

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Nathan Egerton