Alexander Isak is not the only player who Dan Burn has been reflecting on leaving Newcastle United.
In a week that saw Isak leave Newcastle United and sign for Liverpool, Dan Burn has admitted there is another player who he really did not want to depart St James’ Park.
The 33-year-old is currently away on international duty, representing England in their World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia. He is alongside Newcastle United teammates Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento, while there has also been a Toon reunion.
For the first time in his career, Elliot Anderson is in the England senior squad. The 22-year-old has been called up by Thomas Tuchel, which is exactly what he deserves after some sensational performances for Nottingham Forest.
Newcastle sold Anderson to Forest 12 months ago for £35million. It was a deal that the Magpies were effectively forced to do, as they did whatever they could to comply with PSR. Unfortunately, that meant selling a Newcastle United academy product.
Dan Burn admits Newcastle United were ‘gutted’ to sell Elliot Anderson
It was painful to see Anderson leave, and that pain has only intensified given the impact he has had at the City Ground.
Ahead of Anderson potentially making his England debut, Burn has praised the midfielder and admitted what it was like within the Newcastle United squad when he was sold in 2024.
“Elliot is a top player, we were really gutted to lose him from Newcastle,” he said.
“His physicality for a player of his size, the way he can keep people away from the ball and get up the pitch, is a big strength.
“He is always wanting the ball and so calm when he gets it. He has an eye for passes that you need against Andorra.
“Really happy for Elliot, I know he had a great Euros in the summer and he’s a great lad on top of that.”
Do Newcastle United have a buyback clause for Elliot Anderson?
Newcastle United fans would take Anderson back in a heartbeat. Hopefully there is a way that he can return to St James’ Park in the future, but it will not be as simple as activating a buyback clause.
When he was sold to Nottingham Forest, Newcastle did not include a buyback clause for Anderson.
They simply were not able to. At the time, the Magpies were in desperate need of cash to comply with PSR. They were not negotiating from a position of strength. Instead, it was complete weakness.
It was the same with Yankuba Minteh, who was sold to Brighton. Newcastle do not have a buyback clause for him either.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
