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Feature
- 52 minutes ago
Man Utd’s midfield shortlist ranked: Who fits Ruben Amorim’s plan best?
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 25 Oct 2025 23:44 BST
- 7 min read
Analysis
Manchester United’s shortlist to strengthen the midfield is packed with quality, but it’s a decision that is imperative the club gets right.
It came as a surprise that the Red Devils were not more proactive in this area during the summer, instead preferring to totally renovate their attack by spending more than €200 million on Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko.
But the middle of the park cannot be ignored. Casemiro may be enjoying a resurgence, but at 33 is not a long-term solution for Ruben Amorim. Meanwhile, Manuel Ugarte has failed to live up to his €50 million price tag, and Kobbie Mainoo remains peripheral as he does not fit Amorim’s specifications.
According to TalkSport, United have six names on their midfield shortlist:
- Andrey Santos (Chelsea)
- Carlos Baleba (Brighton)
- Elliott Anderson (Nottingham Forest)
- Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
- Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart)
- Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid)
But of these players, who would be the best addition? FootballTransfers has teamed up with data analytics experts SciSports to analyse each option based on current ability, estimated potential and Club Fit.
Andrey Santos – Chelsea
Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €49.9m
Current SciSkill: 83.4
Potential: 113.6
Club Fit: 74
Jokingly branded ‘the best player in the world’ last season while at Strasbourg, Andrey Santos is having to settle for a place on the periphery of Enzo Maresca’s side now that he’s back at Stamford Bridge on a full-time basis.
His current level is below anyone else on Man Utd’s midfield shortlist, according to SciSports, but he has solid potential if nurtured properly.
In addition to this, he fits the Amorim style nicely, so a move for the 21-year-old should not be discounted.
Carlos Baleba
Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €56.7m
Current SciSkill: 103.3
Potential: 126.4
Club Fit: 63
Baleba is the man that Manchester United went after last summer, albeit tentatively. The expectation is that they will revisit a move for the Cameroon international, but with Brighton having put an asking price of around €100m on the player’s head his value for money has to be questioned.
Ruben Amorim reportedly sees him as the perfect player to fit into his team, but SciSports disagrees, giving the player a Club Fit score of just 63.
On the other hand, if United were to sign him, he does have a very high ceiling.
Elliot Anderson
Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €54.3m
Current SciSkill: 103.2
Potential: 130.3
Club Fit: 66
Nottingham Forest’s England international central midfield will no doubt be looking for a way out of the City Ground next summer should the struggles of the team continue, and Man Utd is one possible destination.
Anderson is a similar current level to Baleba but has the advantage of a slightly higher potential and probably a slightly lower transfer fee.
Like the Brighton star, he is not seen as a strong fit for what Man Utd want.
Adam Wharton – Crystal Palace
Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €55.6m
Current SciSkill: 88.4
Potential: 113.1
Club Fit: 78
Wharton might just be the hardest player on this list for Man Utd to sign given the calibre of club that appears to be lining up for him. The likes of Real Madrid and Chelsea seem to be lining up a move for a player who has gone public with his desire to play Champions League football.
Man Utd would be advised to do everything in their power to snap the 21-year-old up. Although his potential is lower than Anderson and Baleba, his Club Fit is excellent.
Angelo Stiller – Stuttgart
Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €49.9m
Current SciSkill: 92.8
Potential: 107.6
Club Fit: 69
The only player on Man Utd’s shortlist who does not have Premier League experience, he was a target for Real Madrid in the summer, having shown shades of Toni Kroos in his performances.
Stiller has a decent current level and solid potential, but with a modest Club Fit score, he is a player who is not worth looking too much into, according to the data.
Conor Gallagher – Atletico Madrid
Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €42m
Current SciSkill: 107.4
Potential: 116.6
Club Fit: 73
Last up is former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, a player who has spent the past couple of seasons with Atletico Madrid.
With a strong current skill level of 107.4, he is the player on the shortlist who is best placed to make an immediate impact at the club. On top of this, he has not yet reached his peak, while he is a strong Club Fit score of 73.
At €42m, he’s not even particularly expensive and at 25 years old, he still has a good deal of mileage left in the tank.
Conclusion
There are pros and cons to each player on Man Utd’s shortlist, and of course, the one they target first may not necessarily be one they are able to sign for a variety of reasons.
Adam Wharton and Conor Gallagher stand out as being particularly strong options based on this data, with the Club Fit of Carlos Baleba something of a cause for concern. But that does not mean the Brighton star would necessarily make for a poor signing.
The only player from this half dozen that SciSports would seem to put a question mark over is Angelo Stiller.
Related stories:
Baleba vs Casemiro: The Old Trafford battle that raised a €100m question
Adam Wharton makes Man Utd transfer demand
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