Elliot Anderson left for Nottingham Forest last summer, but could he return to Newcastle United?
Anderson left St. James’ Park to join Nottingham Forest for £35million last summer, when Wilson was in charge of affairs at the City Ground. The midfielder has since established himself as one of the best in the Premier League, helping guide Forest into the Europa League and earning his first four senior England caps - looking set to earn a place in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for next summer’s World Cup.
Forest’s deal for Anderson was sweetened by the fact that Newcastle paid £20m for backup goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos, meaning the Tricky Trees effectively paid just £15m for his services. Now, they could be set to land a huge profit.
Newcastle ‘investigating’ Elliot Anderson re-signing
Elliot Anderson is being linked with a return to Newcastle United.placeholder image
Elliot Anderson is being linked with a return to Newcastle United. | Getty Images
Wilson declared he was ‘delighted’ when Anderson arrived at the City Ground last summer. However, roles have now reversed, with the 41-year-old in charge of transfer dealings at St. James’ Park. So, could Wilson mastermind a deal to bring Anderson back to his boyhood club? According to the i Paper, that is a very real possibility, with Newcastle understood to be actively ‘investigating’ re-signing the midfielder.
Eddie Howe addresses Elliot Anderson’s potential Newcastle return
Eddie Howe in a Champions League press conferenceplaceholder image
Eddie Howe in a Champions League press conference | Getty Images
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe recently admitted that he’d ‘love’ to welcome Anderson back into his squad, should the opportunity arise.
“Certainly, from my perspective, I would love him too,” he said ahead of Newcastle’s 2-0 win over Forest this month. “I’m very respectful of the fact he is at another football club and I would never normally talk about a player in that way, so, I won’t change that stance but it is very regretful a player from the academy who had given so much, and the club had given so much too, the coaching staff, all those years here and how people tried to develop those talents, for him not to be utilised here is a real shame.”
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Howe added: “We knew that [Anderson was a bargain for Forest]. We knew that the minute it was going to happen, and likely to happen, that we were massively selling him a big discount. “But the position we were in, we weren't in a very strong negotiating position at all. And it was that or a points deduction. So I said many times we had no choice but to make the sale, but it was not one we wanted to do.”
Newcastle fans would surely welcome the Whitley Bay-born star back with open arms, especially considering the upward trajectory his career has taken since leaving the North East.
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