Man United set three-man midfield shortlist: Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba

Manchester United have drawn up a focused three-man shortlist to strengthen midfield: Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson and Carlos Baleba. The profile is no accident - high-tempo, Premier League-ready and technically secure. From what I am hearing, United want a deep controller who can build play, a high-energy runner who links thirds, and a ball-winner who can protect transitions. Wharton ticks the regista box at Crystal Palace, Anderson brings vertical carries at Newcastle, and Baleba offers steel and range at Brighton. Under a clear tactical brief aligned with Ruben Amorim’s preferences, United are primed to move quickly and decisively.

United’s recruitment team met at Carrington early this week to lock the shortlist before opening contacts with the three clubs. Initial conversations have established price expectations and the appetite of each player for the project. Crystal Palace are braced for significant Premier League interest in Adam Wharton after his breakout since January 2024. Newcastle’s stance on Elliot Anderson is influenced by squad balance and pathway assurances. Brighton value Carlos Baleba highly given age and upside. Rival interest is active for Wharton, with top-six clubs monitoring, which is why United aim to set terms early and structure performance-related add-ons.

🚨 NEW: Manchester United have a three-man shortlist of Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson and Carlos Baleba to bolster their midfield. Ruben Amorim wants to continue with the strategy of targeting  Premier League-proven players. [@samuelluckhurst]

@UtdXclusive

Impact Analysis

From a tactical lens, the shortlist reads like a blueprint for a double-pivot in a 3-4-3 or a compact 4-3-3 that can morph in and out of possession. When I played behind a true playmaker, the game slowed down for everyone. Wharton has that calming effect - crisp angles, tempo control, and line-breaking passes that let your front three receive on the half-turn. At Palace he showed maturity beyond his age, keeping accuracy around the high-80s to 90 percent range while still attempting progressive balls. Put him next to Kobbie Mainoo and you get balance - one dictates, one glides.

Anderson adds legs and carry. He likes to step past first contact, press high, and link overlaps - traits that translate in Amorim’s pressing trap ideas. He can play as an 8, a tucked-in wide midfielder, or the advanced shuttler who crashes the box late. When your wing-backs push, that runner is gold.

Baleba brings the bite. At Brighton he showed appetite for duels, cover shadow discipline, and second-ball recovery. United have lacked a consistent destroyer who can still pass forward under pressure. Baleba’s engine can free Wharton and Mainoo to dictate without firefighting every transition. Add homegrown benefits with Wharton and Anderson, and the squad build ticks regulatory boxes while lowering age profile and wage bill risk.

Net effect - cleaner exits from the first line, more control through midfield, and better protection for a back line that has faced too many open-field sprints.

Reaction

The fan pulse is clear - they want decisiveness. One supporter said plainly, "We need at least two of these players," which echoes the dressing-room truth I learned long ago: one addition changes a unit, two redefine it. Another pushed it further - "Sign all three and get rid of the present central midfielders" - a raw take, but it captures frustration with inconsistency.

There is curiosity too. "Which of these three players is the best fit for Amorim's system right now" popped up more than once. My read from those threads - Wharton is the consensus as the metronome, Baleba as the enforcer, Anderson as the all-action link. A different voice warned about competition, flagging Liverpool interest for Wharton. That’s real market noise and exactly why timelines matter.

Some fans are already dreaming big - "Sign all 3 and we win the 26-27 league title" - and while that is tongue-in-cheek, it reflects how transformative a coherent midfield can be. One cheeky comment even measured the club’s balance sheet if United "pull this stunt". Bottom line from the comments - urgency, clarity, and a preference for multiple signings rather than a single splash.

Social reactions

Should be going for all 3. Act like a big club

OATW (@wevewonitall)

Sign all 3 and we win the 26/27 league title

Harry Rothschild (@DamnRothschild)

If Man United pull this stunt, the club will be 50 percent balance

Franc CFC (@Franchelsea1)

Prediction

Short term, expect United to push the Wharton lane first. He fits the brief as the primary controller, homegrown, and ready to start from week one. Palace will hold firm - they have every right after his rapid rise - so think premium fee with add-ons tied to appearances and European qualification. A well-structured deal keeps United within financial rules and still rewards Palace for development.

Parallel talks for Baleba make sense if United anticipate a bidding war for Wharton or if they plan a double arrival. Brighton are tough negotiators, but a package in the mid-40s to 50s region with escalators is a realistic conversation given age, contract horizon, and upside. Anderson becomes the efficiency play - cost-effective, versatile, and homegrown. Newcastle’s position will swing on their own incomings and PSR balance. If they recruit a starting 8, Anderson becomes more gettable.

Probabilities as I see them today - Wharton the priority path, Baleba as the physical complement, Anderson the flexible third piece. Two deals this window is achievable if exits align, three is possible if United front-load structure and move fringe wages. Timeline - shortlist locked now, first formal bids early in the window, medicals staggered to integrate during the first phase of pre-season.

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Conclusion

Everything about this shortlist screams plan, not panic. Wharton gives United a brain in the middle, Baleba gives them teeth, and Anderson stitches phases together. I have been in midfields built on compromise - you chase the ball, you never set the rhythm. This trio flips that. It turns United from reactive to proactive.

Yes, fees will be strong and competition real. But that is the going rate for proven Premier League profiles with development runway. Secure two and you immediately lower the team’s volatility - fewer end-to-end games, more control, higher floor of performance. Secure all three and you fast-track a tactical identity that survives injuries and fixture congestion.

Recruitment is about fit, sequence, and character. These three check those boxes. If United move with the conviction their fans are demanding, this window can reset the spine for the next cycle and give Amorim - and the dressing room - the tools to play on the front foot every weekend.