“He’s athletic enough as well” - Paul Scholes names 23-year-old star as potential replacement for Casemiro at Manchester United

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has named Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson as the ideal replacement for Casemiro. He said the 23-year-old had impressed as England's defensive midfielder, but that he alone would not solve the issue at Old Trafford.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes said that he does not see Casemiro staying at Manchester United after his contract expires. He said:

"He has been a great player and I think he's actually been better this year than he was possibly last year. I think you've got to take his age into account and I think he'll probably move on after his deal is done."

The Brazilian's deal runs out at the end of the season, but the club have the option to extend it by another season. Talking about the ideal replacement, Scholes named Anderson as the player who can do well under Ruben Amorim and said:

"Elliot Anderson is a really good player. Look, I think they need a bit more than Anderson to get to where they want to be, to challenging, but, no, I think he's a really good player. When he was at Newcastle I thought he was a really good player.

"I thought he was more of an attacking midfielder and I didn't see him in this role that he's playing for England as a number six. But he looks a really good player, I think he's athletic enough as well and, yeah, I think he would be a really good signing but we'll see."

Anderson is a target for Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea. Nottingham Forest have reportedly slapped a £100-120 million price tag on the midfielder.

Manchester United legend unsure about Elliot Anderson

Manchester United legend Nicky Butt has heaped praise on Elliot Anderson, but does not see the Englishman as the ideal player for the Red Devils. He believes that the midfielder will become a top player, but is not better than the players already at the club.

He said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast:

"He's a good player. I think it's what the board and the manager wants from a player. To get Manchester United to where they want to be, they need a lot more than just that. But is he better than the ones they've got in now?

"That's what it always should be, you should always get players that are better than what you've got in the building. Looking at what he's doing now, for me, he looks like potentially a top, top player."

Anderson joined Nottingham Forest from Newcastle United in 2024. His contract at the club runs out in June 2029.