Teddy Sheringham has pushed Manchester United toward a midfield rethink, saying Adam Wharton or Elliot Anderson can give the side the ball security and pressing he thinks Michael Carrick’s Old Trafford teams need. The conversation has become more urgent after Manuel Ugarte suffered a knee ligament injury while representing Uruguay against Spain.

Sheringham's case for a different midfield profile

Sheringham’s point was blunt enough. He urged United to step up their pursuit of Wharton after failing to secure Anderson, and said Carrick knows that at Old Trafford United need to camp in the other team’s half and box opponents in.

He was just as direct about the type of midfielder he wants. United, in his view, need someone who can win the ball high up the pitch, keep play going in the final third and stop opponents getting out. That is why he said Anderson or Wharton would be a very good acquisition.

Sheringham also said he thinks Anderson is the better player, while still making clear he likes both options. That is not just name-dropping from a former United forward. It is a fairly clear argument about profile: control, pressure, and the ability to sustain attacks instead of simply recycling them out of danger.

Anderson’s numbers fit that view well enough. He has a 7.14 rating across 3 World Cup appearances and 252 minutes, with 1 goal contribution in those 3 games. If United are looking for a midfielder who can do a bit of both, those are not the sort of figures you ignore.

Ugarte's injury and United's immediate depth

The timing is awkward for United because Ugarte is now part of the injury picture. The club confirmed he suffered the knee ligament injury during Friday’s World Cup group-stage match against Spain, and he was stretchered off after twisting awkwardly.

Ugarte’s World Cup rating was 6.37 across 3 appearances and 187 minutes. That does not settle his long-term role, but it does underline the loss of a current midfield option at exactly the point United are being told to add one. United have won 4 and drawn 1 of their last 5 league matches, so the wider picture is not broken, yet midfield depth has become harder to ignore.

Sheringham’s view is fairly straightforward. United need the right players for the way he thinks the team should play, and the current market still gives them two obvious names. Crystal Palace’s Wharton and Nottingham Forest’s Anderson are the options he put on the table, while Manchester City have also reached an agreement with Forest for Anderson. The immediate issue for United is whether they act while the need is already visible.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 7 outlets. How we work →