Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall at the City Ground
Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall at the City Ground
Even Pep Guardiola has taken note.
"Today, modern football is the way Bournemouth, , Brighton andplay," the boss observed just a few months ago. "Modern football is not positional. You have to ride the rhythm."
That's for sure. Fast breaks, which are instances where teams turn defence into attack after winning the ball in their own half, have hit record levels in the top-flight.
Newcastle United have consciously worked on such scenarios in training and the Magpies' ability to hurt teams on transition was crucial last year, particularly on the road.
In fact, with Alexander Isak, Jacob Murphy, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes all chipping in, Newcastle were ranked among the top few sides in the Premier League for direct attacks (81), shots in transition (194) and shots from fast breaks (45) in 2024-25.
However, there is still potential for further growth. Newcastle managed just five goals from fast breaks last season whereas champions Liverpool led the way with 14. When it came to shot ending high turnovers, Bournemouth had 21 more than Newcastle.
You can see why Newcastle have not only targeted a rapid right-sided forward who can cope with the team's huge physical demands without the ball - but a new arrival who also help ease the burden on Murphy by consistently contributing goals and assists from such breakaways.
Anthony Elanga certainly ticks a lot of boxes in that regard. The fact that Newcastle have revisited this move speaks volumes after the forward registered 18 goal involvements in the top-flight for a Nottingham Forest side who were often lethal on the break last season.
Digging deeper, Elanga statistically spent the longest percentage of game time sprinting of any player in the Premier League last season while only Micky van de Ven and Matheus Nunes hit a higher top speed.
Considering the pace of Newcastle's current frontline, adding Elanga to the mix would be a frightening prospect for opposition full-backs.
Elanga would also have the added advantage of being able to plug in and play, after already making more than a century of appearances in the Premier League, and the 23-year-old still has scope for further improvement.
Nottingham Forest know this, of course. That's why Newcastle were never going to get very far when the black-and-whites made an opening offer in the region of £45m this week for Elanga.
for a player Eddie Howe really likes - just as the club did for, say, Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi last summer following an initial knockback. However, even if Newcastle do increase their offer, could the Magpies end up having to ultimately move on to alternative options if Nottingham Forest continue to hold firm?
Newcastle have other names on their list, after all, and the Magpies won't want to get drawn into a saga following last summer's exhausting pursuit of Guehi after outgoing sporting director Paul Mitchell even admitted that the club could have had more targets.
Newcastle's attempt to sign Elanga does bring a couple of the club's dilemmas into sharp focus, though.
Firstly, Newcastle are in a stronger financial position, but the Magpies are going to have to be smart to strengthen multiple positions in one full swoop this summer.
Secondly, there may appear to be value on the continent, but those forwards who rival Elanga's numbers won't exactly come cheap, carry an element of risk and, crucially, also need time to adapt to the top-flight and Howe's demands.
For context, even a Premier League proven defender like Dan Burn felt like he had undergone a pre-season when he joined his boyhood club in January, 2022.
"You need to know your roles to play in this team," the Geordie once told ChronicleLive. "You’ve got to think quite a bit. It’s not just something you can step into."
One or two targets could soon find that out for themselves - but Newcastle clearly have work to do to make those deals happen.