Manchester United and Newcastle United supporters have been debating the fact an Anthony Elanga sell-on clause will benefit the Red Devils this summer
Anthony Elanga of Nottingham Forest
Anthony Elanga of Nottingham Forest
Manchester United are set to profit from Newcastle United's pursuit of Anthony Elanga thanks to a sell-on clause included in the deal to sell the winger to Nottingham Forest in 2023.
The Red Devils, at a time where every penny counts, will see their kitty boosted from anywhere between £5.25m and £8m should Elanga arrive at St James' Park in the coming weeks.
Manchester United are expected to pocket 15% of the profit from his move, based on the up front fee Forest receive. Newcastle have submitted a structured £55m deal for their top attacking target.
That news has prompted sections of the Manchester United faithful to take great pleasure in the fact the small monetary boost will aid the club’s pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo - a player Newcastle wanted at the start of the summer.
However, the truth is decision makers on Tyneside care little about the fact they will be aiding a rival financially as they seek solely to bolster Eddie Howe’s attacking ranks.
Mbeumo is a top talent who will bring plenty of goals to whoever signs him from Brentford but Newcastle are well aware they are closing in on a player who has out-assisted Kevin De Bruyne, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer and Manchester United’s very own captain, Bruno Fernandes, over the last two Premier League seasons. Elanga, crucially, didn't miss a single top flight game last season and is a much-loved figure at the City Ground.
Meanwhile, Ruben Amorim’s side have learned five unhappy first-team players are pushing to leave the club, including four wingers. Academy graduates Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, along with £155m duo Antony and Jadon Sancho, will all seek to find a new club before the end of the summer.
This, after the club took the decision to sell Elanga for £15m before watching him flourish at Forest. Erik ten Hag saw fit to sell the Carrington talent as Man United spent big on Antony from Ajax.
"I just wanted to play; that was especially important to me," Elanga said when asked about his exit in recent years. "I’m young and I don’t want to sit on the bench all season, you know?
"When you’re young you want to play, you want to make mistakes, you want to take risks. But he [Ten Hag] wasn’t the reason for my leaving. There I mainly focused on myself, not on others."
Newcastle are attempting to get a deal for Elanga done in the coming days but still have some to go on agreeing a fee and locking down personal terms with the winger, who will be very well received on Tyneside.
Here at ChronicleLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Newcastle United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest NUFC news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.