Newcastle United have signed a real star in Anthony Elanga but he had no qualms about his move to St James' Park after chats with Eddie Howe
Anthony Elanga meeting Newcastle United Head Coach Eddie Howe
Newcastle United new boy Anthony Elanga has dropped an exciting hint of what is next on the agenda for Eddie Howe at St James' Park.
Howe finally got his man after a long wait since the end of last season but the right winger has joined in good time for pre-season and should be involved in the first-team on United's Far East tour later this month. But Elanga has revealed in talks with Howe that he sold him a plan that could well stretch beyond simply lifting the Carabao Cup.
The next steps at Newcastle of course are to establish the club in the Champions League and avoid being a flash in the pan in Europe. And many fans see the next two or three years as a chance to push for the Premier League title.
Newcastle were still in with a shout of finishing second up until the penultimate game at Arsenal last season. But fifth place is a more accurate reflection on where the club are at after two European qualifications and one near miss in 2024.
But Elanga has shared the plans he was told by Howe and say: "I have had a good chat with Eddie Howe already and I've got a good idea of his plans for the next few seasons.
"We - I can say we because I am part of the team now - are building something special, and I really want to buy into the culture of the club. It feels like the perfect time to join because they got the feeling of winning a trophy last season and I want to be part of that. I want to help create more history.
"The club is on an upward trajectory and what they are building is really special."
The £55m deal was signed, sealed and delivered on Friday night with the Sweden star now eager to link up with Alexander Isak at club level. However, his arrival has sent out the right message to the Magpies' other big names, such as Bruno Guimaraes, who made it clear that Newcastle needed more strength in depth this season.
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.