Manchester United’s 2026 midfield shortlist: Anderson, Stiller and Baleba rise to the top

Manchester United are aligning a 2026 midfield refresh with a leaner wage bill and a push for European football. From fan shortlists and scouting chatter, three names keep repeating for good reason: Elliott Anderson, Angelo Stiller and Carlos Baleba. I’ve watched each of them closely this season - Anderson’s box-to-box snap and carrying power, Stiller’s tempo control and progressive passing, and Baleba’s ball-winning engine and press resistance all fit United’s gaps. With homegrown balance, age profiles and resale value in mind, this trio gives United flexibility in structure and identity. It reads like a sensible rebuild rather than a vanity splash.

Club insiders have set a top six finish as a private benchmark to re-establish European participation, with the budget buoyed by qualification and a significant wage-bill clean-up that could save around £2.1m per week. Recruitment planning for 2026 has focused on a multi-profile midfield build - a controller, a carrier and a destroyer - while supporter debate has crystallized around a consistent pool of names including Elliott Anderson, Angelo Stiller, Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton, João Gomes, Álex Baena and Oihan Sancet.

Your top 3 midfielders for Manchester United to buy in 2026? 👇 1. 2. 3.

@UtdXclusive

Impact Analysis

From a footballing standpoint, the profiles make sense. United need a controller to set rhythm, a carrier who breaks lines under pressure, and a ball-winner who protects transitions. Angelo Stiller at VfB Stuttgart answers the first brief. He keeps the ball moving, plays on the half-turn, and hits clean angles into the half-spaces. He is not a pure destroyer, but his positioning is tidy, which lowers risk in Premier League chaos. He would instantly raise United’s pass completion in the middle third and improve progression into the final third.

Elliott Anderson, now at Nottingham Forest, offers the carry-and-combine craft United often lack when the game gets stretched. He can receive under contact, spin into space and connect quickly with wide runners. That suits United’s habit of breaking shape to create overloads on the flank. He has the legs to press and the engine to recover, which makes him a useful piece in a flexible 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.

Carlos Baleba is the raw power option. At Brighton he has sharpened his timing in duels and improved his first touch under press. He eats ground, screens the back line and still has room to grow on the ball. In a league that punishes soft centers, Baleba’s ceiling is exactly what United have missed since their best counter-pressing days. Together, Stiller-Anderson-Baleba gives a balanced triangle - calm on the ball, aggressive in recovery, and able to flip defense into attack.

Reaction

The community chatter is strikingly consistent. A lot of fans list Anderson and Stiller first, then pick a third profile based on taste - Baleba for power, Adam Wharton for composure, João Gomes for bite. There is also a technical thread that rates Álex Baena and Oihan Sancet as high-IQ options if United want an advanced eight who can create between lines.

Reading through the comments, you sense a shift away from shiny names and towards fit. Supporters are talking about press resistance, value ages and tactical roles rather than hype. As someone who has been in dressing rooms that got the balance wrong, I like this. United fans are wary of big fees without chemistry. They want midfielders who can play through a press on bad days, not just look good in highlights. That explains why Anderson and Stiller are recurring - they tidy the game and speed it up. Baleba’s inclusion is about winning the middle and protecting a young back line. It’s a practical wishlist, not fantasy mode.

Social reactions

Anderson and Hjulmand then get Debast, Schlotterbeck and Dimarco

The Blocked (@theblocked001)

Anderson Stiller Gomez

𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚍.𝚋𝚢.𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚣𝚘 (@dr4zo19)

Wharton, Anderson, Gomes

Bjørn F (@Brann_supporter)

Prediction

Three scenarios feel realistic in 2026 if United secure Europe and keep pushing down the wage bill:

• Balanced rebuild: United land Angelo Stiller as the tempo-setter and add Elliott Anderson as the carrier, then pursue Carlos Baleba if Brighton’s price softens. Fees in this lane likely sit around £25-35m for Stiller, £40-55m for Anderson given his Premier League premium and contract length, and £60-70m for Baleba depending on competition.
• Power-first route: If the club prioritizes physicality, Baleba becomes the anchor signing and a cheaper controller joins, with internal development covering the third role. That preserves cash for a center back or striker.
• Creative pivot: If chance creation through midfield remains thin, expect a swing at Álex Baena or Oihan Sancet as the advanced eight, paired with a safety-first ball-winner from a secondary market.

I expect United to push early on Stiller - his contract situation and Stuttgart’s model make him attainable with minimal drama. Anderson checks homegrown boxes and adapts quickly, which matters for a squad that has turned over. Baleba will be the tug of war. Brighton sell well, but United’s cleaner wage structure and European revenue put them in the room. If two of the three arrive, the midfield platform finally looks modern - press resistant, intense and scalable.

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Conclusion

Looking at fit, price and availability, this is one of the smartest shortlists United fans have circled in years. Stiller gives the metronome United have lacked since their best controlling days. Anderson adds the carry and chaos management you need away to tough sides when the press squeezes. Baleba injects the ball-winning and ground coverage that stabilizes everything behind a young front line.

As someone who has felt a midfield creak under pressure, the order matters less than the blend. Two signings are enough if the profiles complement. With European qualification boosting the budget and a leaner wage line, United are positioned to act decisively in 2026. Avoid the vanity chase, move early on the right profiles, and the team’s identity sharpens. Get this right and the attack stops starving. The back four stops drowning. The whole side breathes.