Saha urges Man United to sign Valverde as Elliot Anderson alternative this summer

Louis Saha has called on Manchester United to pursue Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde this summer, naming him as the perfect alternative to Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson as the club looks to rebuild its midfield ahead of a return to the Champions League.

Anderson has been one of United’s primary midfield targets, but it is Manchester City who have emerged as frontrunners for the England international. City had a bid rejected for the former Newcastle man — a verbal proposal of £106 million plus a further £15 million in potential add-ons — leaving his future unresolved and prompting United to consider other options.

United have already moved to address their midfield needs by agreeing a deal to sign Atalanta’s Ederson, with an initial fee of £35 million and up to £3.8 million in add-ons close to being finalised. But Saha believes a player of Valverde’s calibre would offer something different — and necessary.

“Man United need a balanced midfield,” Saha told Compare.bet. “You already have Kobbie Mainoo, who is a top player and seems to grow with confidence, but I still think we need something a bit more experienced, a bit more aggressive, and with a bit more ‘legs’ that could represent that dominance in midfield. It’s extremely important.”

Saha drew a direct comparison to the role Casemiro played at Old Trafford, acknowledging the Brazilian’s limitations while stressing the importance of that profile in the squad.

“Federico Valverde would be everything the club needs,” he added. “For any team to challenge for the Premier League title, you need a top-level centre midfielder. They need to be aggressive and show leadership at the same time to really dominate in that midfield. That experience can’t be replaced by youth and talent. That has been represented by Casemiro. He’s not maybe the perfect player, but in this position, he’s one of the best. And definitely, if United want to compete, they need that.”

Manager Michael Carrick and his backroom staff are expected to be active throughout the summer window as they look to assemble a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts next season.