Elliot Anderson: Rio Ferdinand passes judgement on potential transfer

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·7 April 2026

Elliot Anderson: Rio Ferdinand passes judgement on potential transfer

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo’s career at the club has finally got back on track.

Decline and reemergence

The emergence of FA Youth Cup winner Kobbie Mainoo in 2023 was one of the brightest sparks of that particular season.

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His wonderful debut campaign ended with him scoring the winner in the FA Cup final.

Mainoo struggled after Erik ten Hag left and never seemed to really fit into Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim’s plans or two-man midfield.

He was linked with a move away from Manchester United, with SSC Napoli often credited with significant interest in the player.

Nonetheless, since Michael Carrick has come in as manager, Mainoo has been a constant starter alongside Casemiro in the Manchester United midfield.

He has also reignited his World Cup dreams with England after making it back into the squad for the March international break.

Ideal partner

Manchester United will aim to improve their midfield options significantly in the summer transfer window.

They will be intending to find a suitable partner for Mainoo, though, rather than replacing him.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand Presents, the former defender pinpointed who he would like to see brought in this summer to partner Mainoo.

The Red Devils have been linked to a plethora of midfield options, but Ferdinand claimed, “[Bruno] Guimaraes and [Sandro] Tonali wouldn’t be my first-choice midfield signings this summer.”

He explained, “it’s Elliot Anderson. His age, he’s 23 years old… Guimaraes is 28 and Tonali is 25, soon to be 26, so that counts for a lot for me. I want young, hungry players in my squad.”

Elaborating on his choice, he added, “he complements Mainoo. I think Mainoo is going to be one of the main players in the team now, they’re going to build around him and I think Elliot Anderson absolutely complements him.”

He asserted, “they’re different. Anderson has that ability, that energy to get around the park, he’s aggressive. We need those legs.” Ferdinand also praised his “combative” style in the middle of the pitch.

Ferdinand finished off by explaining, “Elliot Anderson is the only player to win over 150 duels, win possession more than 150 times, and win at least 50 fouls in the Premier League, the whole Premier League I must add, this season. They’re my reasons why, guys.”