· 7 June 2025, 18:00
**Anthony Elanga has been on Eddie Howe's wishlist for a while now, having tried to sign the pacey winger on deadline day last summer.**
There were whispers that last summer's transfer window rhetoric was that we get Marc Guehi or nobody, but shortly after the rug was pulled on any deal for the Crystal Palace defender, Newcastle made a panicked £50 million bid to Nottingham Forest for Anthony Elanga.
That bid failed, likely more due to Forest having no time to find a replacement than anything else, and Elanga went on to enjoy a fantastic season with the Premier League's surprise package.
Now, having missed out on the primary target, Bryan Mbeumo, Newcastle will once again turn to Anthony Elanga to fill the right-wing spot, which has needed addressing since before the takeover went through.
Anthony Elanga and Alexander Isak together playing for Sweden
Anthony Elanga's wage demands are expected to be far more reasonable than other targets we've missed out on
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Newcastle lost out on Mbeumo due to Manchester United throwing money at the situation, which Newcastle simply will not do, mostly because PSR means they can't afford to.
Thankfully, The Chronicle claims that Elanga's wage demands will be within the scope of Newcastle's wage structure, which could take the sting out of having to pay £50 million as a transfer fee.
Bryan Mbeumo is going to Man United on a reported £250k-a-week, which is ridiculous. Newcastle's highest earner is Bruno Guimaraes on £160k-a-week, with Alexander Isak set to top that when talks take place next month, but he's still unlikely to be anywhere near what Mbeumo is set to earn at Old Trafford.
What 25-year-old shouldn't be earning £250k-a-week? How else could they survive?
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While The Chronicle doesn't give actual numbers, they say that Elanga is not thought to demand 'astronomical wages'.
We've bitched on about our poor sales pitch when it comes to transfers, but it's clear that it all comes down to money at the end of the day. Of course, players are going to join madcap clubs like Man United and Chelsea if they're willing to throw such ridiculous wages at them.
Newcastle just have to hope they can convince top players to come to Newcastle for the love of the game and to be part of something special. I mean, it's not like they're going to be signing up to use food banks if they come here, they're still going to be well compensated. It's just pure greed - but can you honestly say that if someone was going to offer you £250k-a-week to do the same job as you were going to do elsewhere for £150k-a-week, you wouldn't take it?