Man United have started the season off strong compared to last season, but many fans are hungry for a signing in the midfield, and we talked to former Man United star Paul Parker, who shared his thoughts on two names that have been linked to the club.
Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson have impressed yet again this season, and both of them have been linked to Man United as they hunt for a midfielder.
Despite being impressed with the two Premier League midfielders, Paul Parker doesn’t necessarily see either of them as the ideal solution for Ruben Amorim’s United.
Anything can happen in January
Anderson was one of the stand-out players last season in the Premier League, and with Nottingham Forest’s shaky start this season and their third manager in charge, Parker believes that something could happen around the midfielder in the January transfer window.
“Elliott Anderson has done well at Nottingham and he’s now being pushed as a starter for England but that’s because you don’t have Jude Bellingham to talk about.”
“So everyone would talk about Anderson because now he’s an England international and his name is popping up. Man Utd need a player with discipline and good legs in that midfield.”
“Nottingham Forest are in that position now. With Nuno gone and how things have changed, anything can happen in January.”
Wharton is too injury prone
Wharton has impressed at Crystal Palace, but the midfielder has had some injuries, which concerns Parker if Man United were to make a move for the Crystal Palace star.
The midfielder had a big injury which kept him out for 16 games last season, and this season he has had another minor injury that kept him out for a couple of weeks.
Speaking about the Palace star, who many football fans want in the England squad, Parker said: “Adam Wharton looks good. Everything he does, I like him. Playing for a progressive side at the moment. A lot of injuries. Always has something but it doesn’t seem to bother a lot of clubs who keep on paying money. At the moment, United don’t need a player like him who cannot play two-three games without picking up a knock.”
Parker praises Crystal Palace for signing Wharton early after his breakthrough at Blackburn but is questioning the fact that a big club didn’t pick him up already back then.
“Adam Wharton has done great. Came from Blackburn, hit the ground running. Why didn’t anyone else get him? You’ve got to pat Crystal Palace on the back for that, for the money they spent and how he’s performed. Big clubs would rather spend even more money on players whose shirts they can sell. I’m sure Adam Wharton would have loved to come to Man Utd.”
Crystal Palace won’t sell him in January
The former Man United star points out that Crystal Palace probably aren’t willing to sell Wharton in the January transfer window unless Man United bring a lot of money to the table. The Eagles are not in any situation where they have to sell either as Wharton’s contract doesn’t expire until 2029.
“But if you’re Crystal Palace, you don’t sell. Unless it’s really, really stupid money and the fans can relate to it. They’ll look at the profit margin and go wow. The way they are, Crystal Palace, at the moment, they could fill that berth and no one would notice because no one has noticed that they’ve lost two of their best players in the last three seasons, in Eze and Olise.”
The form of the Red Devils has changed over the last month and the mood is a lot better than it was at the start of the season. If they could strengthen their squad with a top Premier League midfielder then they are definitely showing the fans that they are moving in the right direction.
