Elliot Anderson or Adam Wharton to Man Utd? Former Red Devils star picks midfielder with 'personality' as No.1 choice to replace departing Casemiro this summer

United considered signing a midfielder last summer but ultimately decided to focus on renewing their attack, spending more than £200m bringing in Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, in addition to goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The engine room was always going to be their main area of focus ahead of next season but their search for a new midfielder is even more urgent now that Casemiro is departing. 

The Brazilian instantly bolstered the Red Devils when he joined for £70m from Real Madrid in 2022 after they had made a nightmare start to the season under new boss Erik ten Hag. Casemiro helped United finish third that season and win the Carabao Cup but he endured a punishing second campaign, leading to Jamie Carragher to declare his time at the top level was up. 

Casemiro has staged an impressive turnaround in the last year, giving United a daunting task in finding a replacement for the five-time Champions League winner and captain of Brazil.

Former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has praised Casemiro for proving critics like Carragher wrong after receiving "disrespect that has been off the scale". And he believes Nottingham Forest midfielder Anderson is the leading candidate to replace Casemiro at Old Trafford.

TNT Sports pundit Hargreaves told GOAL: "Adam Wharton is a really good player. So smart, sees the game a bit quicker than most players. He plays first time passes, but Elliot's a different profile. You know, Elliot's a bit bigger, probably a bit more aggressive, so I think they're both super talented young players.

"I think Elliot probably has the nod just right now, because he's probably a little bit more physical but I think Adam is a kid who could play with anyone because he's so smart."

Hargreaves compared Anderson to Declan Rice and he believes the former Newcastle midfielder, who has been partnering Rice in England's midfield since September, has the character to succeed at United. 

"He reminds me a bit of Declan in the sense that he's been given opportunities and he’s running with it. As a young player, he's developing at a rapid speed and getting better all the time. He’s got size, got skill, got everything. The thing I like about Elliot is he seems to have a personality. 

"And that's what you need when it's hard, because it's not so much about being a good player. It's like, can you deal with the expectation of playing for club like Man United? That's one of the things you don't know, something you don't see on data and scouting reports. He looks like he's got a drive."

Anderson will be hoping to help Forest beat Wolves on Wednesday in a crucial match in their bid to avoid relegation. It is one of 10 Premier League games this week that is being shown live on TNT Sports.

Also on Wednesday, Manchester City host Fulham looking to capitalise on their incredible comeback win over Liverpool, who will be hoping to pick up the pieces from their late collapse when they visit Sunderland. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace host Burnley and Aston Villa will play at home to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Then, on Thursday, Premier League leaders Arsenal visit Brentford.

Benjamin Sesko preserved Carrick's unbeaten start with United by snatching a 1-1 draw at West Ham with a 96th-minute equaliser. It was the Slovenian international's second last-gasp goal in three games after scoring a 94th-minute winner against Fulham. He has scored seven goals in total since his £74m move from RB Salzburg last summer although he is yet to start a game under Carrick.

Hargreaves praised Carrick's handling of Sesko, pointing out that United have always slowly bedded in young forwards rather than throwing them straight in at the deep end. 

He explained: "I think the best thing to do for a young player like that, even though you paid a lot of money for him, is to let him watch and learn. That's what they used to do back in the day, 10 years ago. You know, a guy like Sesko would have been the fourth striker at a big club. The prime Manchester United had Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. [Before then] Teddy Sheringham, Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke. 

"And you would have had a young guy learning the ropes. We had that with Danny Welbeck. He was coming through, he was 18 and he was probably our fifth striker when we won the league. He trained with us every day and he learned so much. To throw him in at 18 or 19 or 20 years old like they did with Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Rasmus Hojlund, who has now gone, I don't think it's good for their development. 

"When the club's not doing well, they take all the pressure. And I think having Sesko and saying 'Just watch from the side, come on for the last 25 minutes and you'll get your chances....' And look, it's not a coincidence that he's thriving. I know agents and players say 'I want to play, I want to play.' Well, you might not be ready for it. So [Carrick is saying] 'Learn the ropes, I'll help you. I've been there for 20 years, I've seen this, just trust me'. And it's working."