The penultimate weekend of Premier League football delivered plenty of drama — and in Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton, it offered a compelling case study in the kind of midfield talent clubs will be fighting over this summer.

Man Utd must do whatever it takes to land Anderson

Casemiro's farewell at Old Trafford was always going to be emotional, but it was Anderson who stole the headlines as Nottingham Forest fell 3-2 to Manchester United on Sunday. For incoming United manager Michael Carrick, the 23-year-old's display was as persuasive an audition as any recruitment pitch could be.

United have secured third place and Champions League football for next season. Strengthening midfield is the priority, and Anderson represents the closest thing to a guaranteed success the market has offered since Arsenal paid £105 million to bring Declan Rice from West Ham in 2023. Both players are expected to feature prominently for England manager Thomas Tuchel at the World Cup this summer.

At Old Trafford, Anderson showed a dimension of his game that rarely gets enough attention. Operating from the right, he unlocked space twice to deliver pinpoint crosses — both of which led to Forest goals. His assist for the opener was near-perfect; Morato could not miss. In doing so, Anderson doubled his Premier League assist tally for the entire season in a single afternoon.

The statistics underlined his dominance. Anderson won more duels than any other player on the pitch (nine), regained possession more than anyone else (eight times), and recorded the most final-third entries of any player (14). He was, in every sense, a level above.

Manchester City currently lead the pursuit of his signature — and they also attempted to sign Rice before he chose Arsenal. United should spare no effort in bringing Anderson to Old Trafford if they are serious about competing at the top once more.

Wharton proving he is a worthy alternative