Tim Sherwood urges Manchester United to sign two players to become title contenders

Tim Sherwood has urged Manchester United to sign two Premier League stars this summer to become title contenders next season.

Following a disappointing start to the season, United have enjoyed a superb start to 2026, climbing to third in the table under caretaker boss Michael Carrick.

Manchester United are top of the Premier League when only results since Carrick’s arrival are counted, having taken 22 points from a possible 27 in that time.

It has been suggested that United could even catch their local rivals Manchester City and finish second in the Premier League, which would be a huge improvement from a team that finished just 15th last season.

But United’s ultimate ambition is to win their first Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement and Sherwood believes two players can help them achieve that goal.

Midfield reinforcements will be United’s priority in the summer transfer window as the club were already looking for players in that position before Casemiro announced in January that he was leaving.

Manchester United are expected to sign not just one but two midfielders and Sherwood can see both Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton moving to Old Trafford.

‘He won’t be at Nottingham Forest next season, Elliot Anderson,’ Sherwood said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast. ‘Unfortunately for Forest he won’t be. I think he will be at Man United. 

‘I can see Adam Wharton at Man United as well. I think they take them both. They need surgery if they want to win the Premier League.’

Anderson is believed to be United’s first-choice target ahead of the summer, with the 23-year-old impressing for Forest since his 2024 move from Newcastle United.

An impressive run of form at the City Ground has put Anderson not only in contention for a place in England’s World Cup squad but a place in Thomas Tuchel’s starting line-up.

Manchester United are not the only club to express interest in Anderson, however, with Manchester City and Chelsea also linked with moves.

Wharton, meanwhile, has enjoyed another impressive season at Crystal Palace and is reportedly keen to join a Champions League club in the summer.

As Manchester United prepare for a midfield rebuild, former captain Bryan Robson has backed both Anderson and Wharton to thrive at Old Trafford.

‘I think Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson would definitely fit the criteria for what Manchester United need in the summer,’ Robson told BoyleSports.

‘They’re both homegrown too and that’s important. It’s good to have a British core within the club.

‘But foreign players do brilliant at United too and there’s loads of them throughout the world that they’ll be scouting so there might be a player out there who’s young and has that ability to become a Declan Rice or Wharton or an Anderson.

‘Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson are both good players. It’s about how much they’re going to cost.

‘You’ve got to look at that to see whether you can buy one of them because I think they would both fit this United side well.

‘That’s if their clubs allow them to leave because you’ve always got that wherever you go or the player doesn’t want to come to you, but it’s still very unusual that a player doesn’t want to come to Manchester United.’

Carrick’s side beat top-four rivals Aston Villa 3-1 last weekend and return to Premier League action on Friday night against Bournemouth.

Manchester United are still deciding on their next permanent manager but Carrick is now the frontrunner after his impressive impact since stepping in for Ruben Amorim.

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