Newcastle have completed the signing of Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest in a deal worth up to £55m.
Newcastle will pay a fixed fee of £52m for the 23-year-old, plus £3m in performance-related add-ons.
Elanga scored six goals and recorded 11 assists in the Premier League last season and was instrumental in Forest securing European football for the upcoming campaign.
Elanga is the second winger Newcastle have signed this summer, after Spain youngster Antonio Cordero joined on a free transfer from Malaga, although the 18-year-old is set to go out on loan.
Speaking to the club’s official website following the completion of the transfer, Elanga said: “I’m ready to put on this black-and-white top to really fight for this team and give everything for the passionate fanbase that lives and breathes football.
“I had an amazing two years at Nottingham Forest, they really helped me to become the player I am today, but I’m really happy to be here now. The club won a trophy last season and are building something unique, something special that I really want to be part of.”
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe added: “Elanga is an exciting talent with attributes that make him a unique attacking threat. His pace, energy and ability to create and score goals will strengthen us and complement the way we want to play.”
Manchester United, who Elanga left in 2023, stand to make between £6m and £8m from the Sweden forward’s move to the North East.
The Old Trafford outfit negotiated a sell-on clause with Forest when he left the club in a £15m transfer. Sky Sports News understands they were due between 15 and 20 per cent of the profit from his sale.
What Newcastle want to complete a good window
Anthony Elanga has joined Newcastle
Sky Sports News’ Keith Downie:
“It was announced on Monday that Callum Wilson will be leaving, which just leaves Alexander Isak as a recognised No 9, so Newcastle will be looking to add another one in that position.
“We have been saying for a while that Newcastle are in talks with Burnley over goalkeeper James Trafford.
“He is the goalkeeper they hope for, then a right-sided defender and a striker to come in alongside Isak.
“If Newcastle can do that, it will be a good window for them.”
Why Newcastle have signed Elanga
Sky Sports’ Adam Bate:
Anthony Elanga is one of the most explosive players in the Premier League and there is already excitement about how he could become a fan favourite at Newcastle. That speed is the most obvious feature of his game – and the statistics bear that out.
Micky van de Ven registered the top speed in the Premier League last season but you do not have to dig much deeper to reveal that Elanga was the standout sprinter in the competition. Seven of the 20 fastest sprints in the Premier League were his.
For context, nobody else in the top 20, Van de Ven included, hit such a speed more than once. Elanga, whose robustness is illustrated by the fact that he featured in all 38 of Nottingham Forest’s Premier League matches, brought that pace time and again.
Eddie Howe will aim to utilise that undoubted threat on the counter-attack but the 23-year-old former Manchester United winger has shown under Nuno Espirito Santo that there is much more to his game now than just those extraordinary physical attributes.
Read more on how Elanga will need to adapt at Newcastle here.
Newcastle feels like perfect step up for goal-driven Elanga
Sky Sports’ William Bitibiri:
Having spent time watching Anthony Elanga’s pre-season preparations ahead of last season, it was clear that ambition was oozing out of him, like the sweat from his brow after being put through his paces by his personal strength and conditioning coach, Tom Joyce.
It was in those very sessions where he prepared for his most productive season with 18 goal contributions in 43 appearances across all competitions. It’s in his final ball where Elanga added a further dimension to his game.
Ambitions, while admitting they played a big part in his development during and after life at Manchester United, were kept personal, but the desire to improve on his previous year was loud.
In many ways, it was the breakout after the breakout for Elanga. The 23-year-old became the embodiment of Nottingham Forest’s threat on the counter, punishing sides as Forest narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification.
Elanga added a new dimension to his game at the City Ground, with his creative return of 11 league assists, building on nine from the previous campaign. He’ll have eyes on further developing this area as he prepares to link up with his Swedish compatriot and key marksman, Alexander Isak, at St James’ Park – and a manager in Eddie Howe who has long been an admirer.
His former club Man Utd may or may not have foreseen the impact Elanga could have, but they may rue letting the Carrington-grown talent leave in 2023. However, Elanga’s decision to depart Old Trafford is unlikely to be one he regrets as he gears up for Champions League football at the Toon.
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