Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak enjoyed a wonderful season for the club last year.
The Swede not only scored 27 goals across 42 appearances in all competitions, but he also helped the Magpies end their 70-year wait for a domestic trophy in the process.
Isak opened the scoring in the League Cup final against Liverpool, immortalising himself among the Toon support.
Newcastle United's Alexander Isak celebrates scoring their first goal
If Eddie Howe wishes to keep his star man in this sort of form, bringing in a quality winger or two this summer will help massively.
Just who have the Magpies got on their wishlist?
Newcastle could see bid for Premier League starlet accepted
Newcastle have been linked with Jadon Sancho, Jack Grealish and even Rodrygo from Real Madrid during the first couple of weeks in June.
All three would be statement signings by Howe, no doubt about that, but is there a more attractive option out there?
Indeed, according to Football Insider, the Magpies now know exactly how much it is going to cost to sign Nottingham Forest wideman Anthony Elanga.
The report states that the club had an offer of £35m rejected last summer, but if Howe comes back in with a £15m increase, this £50m bid would likely be accepted by Forest.
Why Anthony Elanga could make Isak even better
Elanga has shone for the club since making the move from Manchester United two years ago and this form has caught the attention of Howe.
If he does make the move north, Isak will be licking his lips.
Last season, wingers Anthony Gordon, Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes registered seven, five and 14 assists respectively across all competitions.
Elanga recorded 12 assists in all competitions last term, with 11 coming in the Premier League alone, more than Gordon and Barnes.
Comparing Elanga with Newcastle wingers (PL stats only)
Metric
Goals
Assists
Big chances created
Key passes per game
Successful dribbles per game
The Swedish starlet also created nine big chances in the top flight while also making 1.3 key passes and succeeding with 0.7 dribbles per game. These numbers indicate that he could be the dream winger for Isak, providing him with plenty of chances next term.
Indeed, when compared to his positional peers in the Premier League, Elanga ranks in the top 6% for assists (0.4) per 90.
Elanga-Van-de-ven
The winger even ranks in the top 2% for shots on target (54.5%) per 90 and in the top 3% for crosses (6.66) per 90, which places him among the best in the division for these metrics. How exactly does he do that?
Well, it certainly helps that he was one of the fastest players in the entire division throughout 2024/25.
Fastest & slowest players in the Premier League 2024-25 (timeless)
The fastest & slowest players in the Premier League (2024/25)
On that evidence, it is no wonder that Statman Dave hailed him as “dangerous” during his first few months as a Forest player, and he has gone from strength to strength ever since.
Linking up with his compatriot at Newcastle ahead of next season could see Howe field a front three of Elanga, Isak and Gordon.
This should be enough to strike fear into most sides in the top flight and, indeed, in the Champions League.
Will the manager shell out £50m for the 23-year-old this summer? Only time will tell.
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[Dream Mbeumo alternative: Newcastle keen to sign "unplayable" £55m winger](https://www.footballfancast.com/dream-mbeumo-alternative-newcastle-keen-to-sign-justin-kluivert/ "Dream Mbeumo alternative: Newcastle keen to sign "unplayable" £55m winger")
With Bryan Mbeumo seemingly on his way to Manchester United, have Newcastle identified a dream alternative described as "amazing", worth £55m?