It’s well documented that Newcastle United are big admirers of Anthony Elanga.
A deadline day bid for the winger failed last August and David Ornstein revealed earlier this week that we’ve now had a new £45m bid rejected by Nottingham Forest.
He’s clearly a long-term target, but what could Elanga offer that Newcastle are currently missing?
Replacing attributes of those sold
Eddie Howe was quoted in his press conference following UCL qualification as initially needing to replace those sold in the previous windows – one of those being Miguel Almiron.
Now for all that Miggy split opinion across his Newcastle career, one attribute he offered to Howe was an ability to carry the ball and also cause full-backs new problems by cutting in on his left foot from the right side. Enter Anthony Elanga.
Progressive carries
As Miggy was out of the first team picture some time before his exit, you think of the current Newcastle squad progressively carrying the football during matches and you’re likely to think Anthony Gordon, Tino Livramento and (if deeper) Alexander Isak. The likes of Tonali, Bruno and Joelinton are all capable, but it isn’t there main role, nor are any able to do so at real pace.
Anthony Elanga clocked the longest progressive carry up the pitch on average of any other player in the league last season (15.2m). He even clocked up a record speed of 36.7km in April.
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Willockinho…. no more?
Forgetting about Miguel Almiron, another player still at the club with the attribute of strong progressive carries is Joe Willock.
A quick glance at his stats from the 2022/23 season (below) show how impressive he was at driving the ball up the pitch week-in and week-out.
Fast forward to the 2024/25 season and he seemed low on fitness, confidence and that same ability to successfully drive the ball up the pitch.
With Almiron gone, and Willock looking a shadow of his former self, that’s two players Howe has lost with the ability to get Newcastle up the pitch in both transition and sticky moments with pace.
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A two-footed winger
Newcastle’s current RW Jacob Murphy is very much one-footed in terms of ball carrying, shooting and crossing.
Anthony Elanga is quite a rare breed of player in terms of his ability to use both feet. Since the start of the 2021/22 season, he’s had 55% of shots with his right foot and 36% with his left. Only four other players with over 100 shots in that time have a lower number between percentages.
To highlight this, of his 12 league goals, he’s scored five with each foot. While someone like Mbeumo is far more deadly cutting in on that left foot from the right, Elanga has proved he certainly has that in his locker.
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The right profile
At the age of 23, you could argue Elanga has an incredibly high ceiling, and with Premier League success now already under his belt, the ability to simply get better and better under the right coaching is plain to see.
His ability with both feet allow him to compete with both Murphy on the right wing, and Gordon/Barnes on the left, adding versatility to our ranks ahead of what promises to be a busy season in league, cup and Europe.
A player of such energy and pace also fits perfectly into Howe’s style of intensity in his 4-3-3 system. He also appears to be a good character and a team player, while his Swedish connection with Alexander Isak may also help in more ways than one!
The price?
With all things considered, including how integral Elanga was for Nottingham Forest last season,it’s no surprise they’re holding out for more money than the £45m offered earlier this week.
Howe seems very keen on the player, so it wouldn’t be a shock if we returned with a higher bid. But how far do we go and how much is he really worth?
You could argue the player isn’t worth in excess of £55m, but as the window goes on, should Newcastle really back out of a deal for a top target for the sake of £10m?