Alan Shearer shares exactly what he thinks of Elliot Anderson after leaving Newcastle United

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Newcastle United chiefs were devastated when Elliot Anderson was sold to Nottingham Forest in the summer.

It was a tough situation for sporting director Paul Mitchell to deal with, he joined the day after his sale – left to pick up the pieces of failings from the previous hierarchy.

The Magpies also sold Yankuba Minteh to Brighton that same night, a big blow to Toon boss Eddie Howe who believed the young winger would be a long-term signing. Instead, fans never saw him play in black and white.

With the January transfer window now open, Mitchell must implement his new transfer strategy of recruiting young players from overseas to ensure Newcastle don’t get caught up in another nightmare with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Anderson was an academy graduate, so his sale made the most financial sense but Newcastle suffered by losing a bright prospect to a club now ahead of them in the Premier League table.

Club legend Alan Shearer recently took the time to comment on Anderson’s season.

Alan Shearer praises Elliot Anderson’s form

It’s no surprise that Anderson is flying at Forest with the Whitley Bay-born star bagging five assists in 18 games – helping Forest move up to third in the Premier League table, five points ahead of Newcastle.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	18	14	3	1	45	17	28	45
2	ArsenalArsenal	19	11	6	2	38	17	21	39
3	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	19	11	4	4	26	19	7	37
4	ChelseaChelsea	19	10	5	4	38	23	15	35
5	NewcastleNewcastle	19	9	5	5	32	21	11	32

Shearer, alongside Gary Lineker and Micah Richards, assessed every team on The Rest is Football podcast.

The topic of Forest came up and Shearer was asked about Anderson.

“What a season he’s having,” Shearer said.

“It’s been a great move for him, he’s got an energy about him, a class about him.

“And the way Forest play suits so many of their players. Their recruitment’s been great, they’ve signed some top defenders who love defending which enables the forward players to do their stuff.

“They’re quick on the break and they’ve got a centre-forward who’s in the form of his life. Put all that together, it’s an unbelievable season they’re having.”

The Magpies also sold Chris Wood to Forest in 2023, the 33-year-old is having a fantastic season scoring 11 goals in 19 league games.

Newcastle were linked to Forest star Anthony Elanga in the summer, a failed deadline day move meant he stayed there but the Magpies may look to go back in for him in January. Lineker also praised the 22-year-old, saying he is “doing really well on the right.”

Howe fears youth sales could happen again

In November, Howe reiterated his reluctance to let Anderson go – admitting that “no one internally” wanted him to leave but it was a decision the club had to make.

He went on to confess that he believed more unwanted sales could follow soon.

Martin Dubravka looks set to leave having reportedly agreed personal terms with Al-Shabab. Miguel Almiron is also on the radar for teams outside of Europe. MLS side Charlotte FC have talked openly about the prospect of signing Almiron.

Although Dubravka has been part of the starting XI in recent weeks, sales like his and Almiron’s won’t be considered the worst that could happen to the club. Dubravka is out of contract at the end of the season and Almiron has lost his place in the starting line-up to Jacob Murphy.