12 duels won, 10 recoveries: Man Utd want 23-year-old to replace Casemiro, midfielder shows why - view

Manchester United are poised to find a replacement for midfielder Casemiro when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The Red Devils have already confirmed the Brazilian’s exit this summer and are unlikely to change their stance despite his fine form.

Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson has been identified as the top target to replace him, and he has certainly proved his credentials.

The 23-year-old delivered another standout display in the 1-1 Premier League draw against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The Englishman had a passing accuracy of 88 percent and was rock-solid defensively over 90 minutes.

He won a stunning 12 out of 14 duels while making 10 recoveries. He also made three tackles with two interceptions and one clearance.

Comparing his seasonal statistics to Casemiro, Anderson has a better passing accuracy (league) of 86 percent compared to the Brazilian’s 82 percent.

The Newcastle United graduate has won 8.1 duels and 2.7 tackles per game with 8.5 recoveries.

On the contrary, Casemiro has won just 4.9 duels per outing with 2.4 tackles and 3.9 recoveries.

Anderson has also excelled with his progressive distribution. He averages 31 passes in the opposition half compared to Casemiro’s 17.5 this campaign.

Ugarte, who has been a regular substitute this season, has one key strength over Casemiro with progressive carries, but Anderson excels there too.

With the World Cup coming up this summer, United must be proactive to secure an agreement before the tournament to avoid paying a higher fee.

Anderson is anticipated to be a mainstay in the heart of the midfield for the Three Lions alongside Declan Rice, and could further increase his reputation.

The Englishman has a percentile of 53.6 for progressive carries, higher than both Ugarte (49.6) and Casemiro (10) during the ongoing season.

Hence, Anderson would be a perfect midfield signing, as he has the attributes to complement the strengths of both defensive midfielders at the Red Devils.

He has played 90 minutes in every league game for the Tricky Trees this campaign, which exhibits his excellent fitness levels and tireless work rate.

Forest are looking for at least £100 million to part ways with Anderson, but United could secure him for less with easy performance-based bonuses.

Stats from Sofascore.com & DataMB.com

Article written by Sri Aswin .