In the summer of 2025, Manchester United prioritised rejuvenating their attacking line over bolstering their midfield. However, in the forthcoming transfer window, they may revisit some of the targets they previously considered. The absence of European football and a resurgence from Casemiro has enabled United to manage quite well without an additional midfield recruit and launch a top-four bid.

The Brazilian is set to depart in the summer, though, and securing a new starting midfielder will likely be essential regardless of whether other players also leave. Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba, Alex Scott and Adam Wharton were among the names recently suggested, but no transfers materialised for any of the four due to various reasons. Here, we delve deeper into their performances this season after all remained at their respective clubs.

Anderson has faced considerable upheaval at club level this season. Nottingham Forest have appointed their fourth permanent manager of the campaign, a Premier League record, yet he has managed to shine in a struggling team.

He has also cemented his position at the international level, making his debut in September and retaining his place in every one of Thomas Tuchel’s squads. He has started five of six matches and already appears certain for the World Cup squad while building a compelling argument to start the opening game.

Anderson’s press-resistance, positional discipline and energy make him a rare commodity. At 23, he possesses a frighteningly high ceiling too.

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Whilst Anderson has remained consistent despite his team’s decline, there’s an argument that Baleba’s dip in form has been the catalyst for Brighton’s underwhelming campaign this term. The Cameroon star finished last season impressively but was prepared to acknowledge he hasn’t reached those standards this term.

“I feel more relaxed now,” he told Sky Sports in February, suggesting a break to represent his country at the Africa Cup of Nations helped him recover. “The noise about me outside, I didn’t understand. I didn’t look on the websites. I’m more focused on me, myself and for my team-mates.”

At 22, he, too, has room to develop. However, there hasn’t been the same impression as last season that he’s been performing at a level to warrant the nine-figure valuation we were witnessing last term.

There has been significant turmoil at Bournemouth this season, but Scott has remained and excelled. The departures of Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi in the summer, as well as Antoine Semenyo’s January transfer to Manchester City, left a considerable void, placing immense pressure on players like Scott to elevate their game.

There have been some standout performances, but he was the first to concede that consistency hasn’t always been present – though that’s to be expected for a player of his age. “I think there were a few games where my levels dropped, but I’m back to my best. I’m definitely in the form of my life,” the 22-year-old confessed to BBC Radio Solent in February.

He secured his first England call-up but remained on the bench against Albania in November, so his international debut has been delayed. Scott also missed out on a place in Tuchel’s squad for the March internationals, and there’s a case to be made that the revitalised Kobbie Mainoo has claimed the spot that could have been his, prompting questions about whether he’s the right fit for United.

Crystal Palace ace Wharton has joined Mainoo in making the cut for Tuchel’s latest squad. The former Blackburn midfielder played his first international matches in nearly 18 months when he appeared against Serbia and Albania in November and certainly seems to possess the skills the Three Lions manager desires from a midfielder.

Wharton is consistently composed in possession and has displayed considerably greater assurance than his young age might indicate. That said, questions remain about his ability to help unlock more defensively minded opposition, even though that isn’t his primary function within a team.

Whether Wharton represents the correct acquisition may hinge on United’s other midfield business. Speculation surrounding a Bruno Guimaraes transfer has intensified recently and Wharton’s attributes would seem to complement those of the Brazilian – although funds for such expenditure might need to be generated through alternative channels.