Anthony Elanga is set to become a Newcastle United player imminently, bringing an end to a long-running pursuit of a right-winger after the club shelved their interest in Bryan Mbeumo.
Newcastle are set to pay an initial £55million for Elanga, who was also a target for Eddie Howe last summer.
Indeed, Newcastle haven’t signed a right-winger during the PIF era at the club. They’ve certainly tried, and Brentford star Mbeumo was a target.
Still, Newcastle thought Mbeumo was too expensive, and have instead made Elanga their leading target.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the two compared last season.
Anthony Elanga stats compared to Bryan Mbeumo
Both were among the leading right wingers in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign.
While Mbeumo’s haul of 20 goals was much higher than Elanga’s six, the Swedish star recorded much more in the way of assists.
| 2024/25 Premier League statistics | Anthony Elanga | Bryan Mbeumo |
| Goals | 6 | 20 |
| Assists | 11 | 7 |
| Shots/90 | 1.2 | 2.2 |
| Dribbles/90 | 0.7 | 1.4 |
| Key passes/90 | 1.3 | 1.8 |
On a per game basis, Mbeumo beats Elanga in some key metrics. Still, Elanga is two years younger than the Brentford forward and has time to develop his game even further.
In fact, both Howe and Elanga agree that he can improve while working under the Newcastle United manager.
Eddie Howe is the perfect manager for Anthony Elanga
Howe has transformed several Newcastle players during his time in charge of the club, so Elanga should be excited about the prospect of working under him.
Both Jacob Murphy and Miguel Almiron have enjoyed the best spells of their careers while playing in Howe’s Newcastle side.
Clearly, he’s capable of getting the most out of the right-wing position, which makes the Elanga signing all the more promising.
If Howe can work his magic with Elanga, who has clearly already proven himself in the Premier League, then £55million could look like a bargain.
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