Man United accelerate midfield plan: Wharton, Anderson and Baleba headline a focused shortlist

Manchester United are tightening their midfield shortlist with Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson and Carlos Baleba emerging as the most attainable, high-upside options. The trio fit the club’s push for energy, control and athleticism in the middle, with recruitment aligned to the new football structure. From what I hear, United are optimistic of securing at least one target, with January groundwork setting up a decisive summer. As a former pro, I like the balance here - a tempo-setter in Wharton, a press-resistant carrier in Anderson, and a destroyer with range in Baleba. This is coherent planning, not scattergun shopping.

The discussion originated from a respected reporter outlining Manchester United’s evolving midfield priorities, highlighting Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson and Carlos Baleba as realistic targets. It follows weeks of internal reviews on squad balance, budget planning and stylistic fit under the club’s new football leadership. The timing aligns with United’s mid-season scouting cycle and early negotiations that typically frame prices and player intent ahead of the summer window.

🚨🗣️ @lauriewhitwell on midfield targets: "Elliot Anderson, he surely wants to move to a Champions League club next with Forest already in Europe. Adam Wharton is a similar situation, you feel his next step is a Champions League club. Baleba has a more difficult season, I don’t

@UtdXclusive

Impact Analysis

From a football perspective, this shortlist finally looks like a plan with layers rather than a set of shiny names. Adam Wharton is the clearest plug-and-play profile. He is composed in tight areas, progresses the ball with disguise and keeps the team’s heartbeat steady under pressure. At Palace he has shown maturity beyond his years, often receiving on the half-turn and punching vertical passes through the second line. United lack that calm conductor when games get chaotic. Wharton addresses that immediately.

Elliot Anderson brings a different gear. He drives play with his first touch, breaks lines on the carry and presses with real bite. In matches I have watched in person, his timing when stepping onto loose balls is excellent. He is the sort of LCM who can connect full back and winger while still arriving late in the box. He suits a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 as an advanced eight.

Carlos Baleba gives you the platform. He is raw, but his range over the ground, ability to duel and willingness to play forward quickly are the foundation of a modern single pivot. United have missed a midfielder who enjoys the defensive dirty work and can still move the ball with purpose. With proper coaching and role clarity, his ceiling is high.

Financially, these targets also make sense. They are young, Premier League proven or adapted, and hold resale value. Strategically, that is aligned with a club that needs to build a spine for three to five years, not just chase one headline signing.

Reaction

The fan noise around this topic is telling. A section of United supporters want intent and identity over star-chasing. One voice sums it up well: go for Baleba because he wants United even without European football. That sentiment cuts through in a dressing room - hunger beats hype. Others are tired of the idea that players are eyeing Champions League status first. You can feel the impatience: move on from anyone who is not all-in.

There are also encouraging tones around the squad’s mood. James Maddison praising Mason Mount for looking like his old self reminds people that an in-form Mount changes the midfield picture. Bruno Fernandes spending time with academy talent Shea Lacey, and JJ Gabriel scoring in the FA Youth Cup, feed into a story of pathway and standards. Fans always respond when seniors lift the kids. It matters in recruiting young targets too.

On the broader horizon, a prominent agent praising Ruben Amorim’s methods sparked debate about direction and patience. Some read it as a nudge that United need a coherent game model and time to execute, not constant churn. Others called it more talk about a future that never arrives. As someone who has lived dressing room cycles, I get both sides. Results soothe nerves. A clear, repeatable style earns faith.

Net-net, the reception to Wharton, Anderson and Baleba is cautiously positive. Supporters want decisiveness, character and a plan that fits the coach, not the other way around.

Social reactions

Anderson wants City, he even follows them on IG

Roby Red (@LeusRoby)

All this club does is talk about the future that never comes. Constant carrot dangling.

Jasper🔰 (@Jasp316)

We want players who want to play for the badge not for champions league football l hope baleba finds form soon

king walker (@FrancisMen73749)

Prediction

Short term, I expect United to test the waters with early proposals and player-side conversations before the summer. Palace will fight hardest to keep Wharton in-season - they have done an excellent job building around him - but a structured deal with add-ons and performance triggers could open the door later. Newcastle will not undersell Anderson given his homegrown value and tactical versatility, yet the right project pitch and minutes pathway can turn heads. Brighton are typically open to sales at the right number if the succession plan is lined up, which keeps Baleba in play.

Sporting logic suggests United will close on one of the three and hold a second option warm. If Mount’s resurgence holds and Mainoo continues to grow, the profile that lands first will likely be either the destroyer platform or the deep-lying controller. My call - Baleba is the most attainable in a smartly structured agreement, while Wharton is the statement piece if the budget stretches. Anderson remains the high-upside connector if the market stalls elsewhere.

Timeline-wise, groundwork now sets up a fast June. Expect medical and personal terms to be the easy part - the negotiation chess will be fee, add-ons and sell-on clauses. United’s pitch will emphasize minutes, a defined role and a clear route to Champions League football. If two of these three arrive across the next two windows, the midfield finally looks modern, athletic and repeatable against elite opposition.

Latest today

• Royal Antwerp agree deal to sign LDU wonderkid Fricio Caicedo for July 2026
• Man United line up double midfield swoop as Casemiro exit considered and Ugarte pursuit in...
• Moisés Caicedo hits €110m on Transfermarkt - Chelsea’s £115m now looks a bargain
• Thierry Henry challenges Mohamed Salah’s public comments - protect the club at all costs

Conclusion

I have seen squads rebuilt the wrong way - bolt-ons, mismatched profiles, short-term fixes. This is different. Wharton gives you control when matches tilt. Anderson adds carry and snap to break blocks. Baleba provides the base that lets the creators push higher without fear. Put that behind Bruno and an in-form Mount, and you have a midfield that can win the ball back quickly, keep it when it matters and move it with purpose.

United cannot afford another summer of drift. The shortlist is tight and logical, the ages fit a three-year arc, and the resale profiles protect the investment. Close one early, keep pressure on a second, and the squad suddenly has balance. Young players like Mainoo and the academy crop feel a pathway instead of a logjam. Veterans see a structure that makes their jobs simpler.

As a retired pro, I value dressing rooms that know what they are trying to be. These three targets point in the same direction - energy, clarity and control. Land one, maybe two, and the midfield stops being a weekly patch job and starts becoming a platform for everything else.