Not Tonali – Man Utd identify ‘Phenomenal’ star as top midfield target, but there’s a catch

Manchester United might be interested in Sandro Tonali, but their primary midfield target remains Elliot Anderson.Tonali has become an increasingly popular figure with the club’s hierarchy. The Italian has been plying his trade in the Premier League since signing a £60 million move from AC Milan to Newcastle United.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYThe Italian’s first season at St.James Park was wrecked by a lengthy ban due to illegal betting, but since 2024, he has established himself as a protagonist at Eddie Howe’s court, forming a wonderful midfield trio with Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes.Man United still consider Elliot Anderson their top targetIn recent days, several sources revealed that Man Utd opened talks with Tonali’s agent through an intermediary, including Carrington insider Sully.Nevertheless, the trusted United journalist has now added that, despite the Red Devils’ appreciation for the 25-year-old, he isn’t the first name on Jason Wilcox’s shortlist, as this honour goes to Anderson.“Current state of play. Elliot Anderson remains MUFC’s No.1 midfielder target with the intention of trying to convince him to join,” posted Sully on his alternative X account.The ‘phenomenal’ Anderson has emerged as one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League thanks to his exploits at Nottingham Forest.However, signing the 23-year-old remains a daunting task for Man Utd. In addition to Forest’s hefty price tag (around £100 million), they’re facing familiar competition from Manchester City, who are apparently ahead in the race for Anderson.“MCFC are currently leading the race (for Anderson) as of today,” added Sully. Current state of play. Elliot Anderson remains #MUFC’s no 1 midfielder target with the intention of trying to convince him to join. #MCFC are currently leading the race as of today. Sandro Tonali is admired internally with initial talks held with his agents via an intermediary. — Sully (@SullyTalkzAlt) March 29, 2026Why Man Utd prefer Anderson over Sandro TonaliWith Rodri recently flirting with Real Madrid, Man City are expected to go all in for Anderson in the summer. On the other hand, Man Utd must buy at least two new midfielders, so they might find it difficult to outmuscle their neighbours in a bidding war.But even though the Englishman is United’s top target, the fanbase would also be satisfied with Tonali’s arrival. Percentiles Duel% Poss won Prog carries Fwd passes Fwd pass% Key passes Prog passes Minutes Elliot Anderson 64.8 90.1 55.1 94.2 75.3 62.2 95.3 3041 Sandro Tonali 68.5 44.4 73.0 71.7 45.3 44.6 64.8 2276 As illustrated in the figures above, Tonali and Anderson are both modern, well-rounded midfielders, capable of performing various tasks in the middle of the park.The Forest star registered superior numbers in most metrics, especially in terms of winning back possession and progressive passes, which could explain why the Red Devils are inclined to sign him. On the other hand, the Newcastle man has been able to carry the ball forward on more occasions.