Newcastle United are keen to make a move for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga this summer.
After securing Champions League qualification, Eddie Howe is now eager to improve his options available to him this summer. After failing to sign him in 2024, Anthony Elanga is on Newcastle United’s radar once again over a possible move.
The 23-year-old is coming off the back of a brilliant Premier League season, scoring six goals and bagging 11 assists, enough to have caught the Magpies’ eyes once again.
Newcastle want to pay around £35m for Elanga, but the feeling is they will have to fork out much more to bring him to the club this summer after such a bright season.
Howe will undoubtedly hope that Champions League football can lure Elanga to join Newcastle this summer, with Nottingham Forest only able to play Conference League football next season.
With Newcastle continuing their pursuit of Elanga, here are three winners and two losers of the possible deal.
Eddie Howe – Winner
After so long without, Howe now looks set to finally get the quality right-winger he has sought for years.
After losing Yankuba Minteh to Brighton, Newcastle only had Jacob Murphy and Miguel Almiron at their disposal. Now Almiron has left for Atlanta United, Murphy spent the last few months of the Premier League season as Howe’s only natural right-winger.
Signing Elanga not only gives Howe a quality winger, it also gives him more depth in a position that was desperate for numbers this summer.
Newcastle have signed Antonio Cordero on a free transfer, but the 18-year-old still has a lot of developing to do and will definitely be loaned out for his first season on Tyneside.
Alexander Isak – Winner
Coming off the back of his best season since joining Newcastle in 2022, Alexander Isak will be eager to push on and add to his impressive goal tally next season, and signing Elanga would help him do exactly that.
Isak partnered well with Murphy last season with the pair combining for several goals and assists throughout the Premier League season, but there are concerns over whether Murphy can carry that form into next season.
Elanga plays with Isak for Sweden, so the pair already have great experience working with each other and should be able to hit the ground running if put in a front three together.
Isak wants new signings at Newcastle this summer, and he will get someone he is very close to in Elanga.
Paul Mitchell – Winner
A more left-field choice, but sporting director Paul Mitchell could give Newcastle a generous parting gift by working his magic to sign Elanga. However, he is against the clock to get a deal done.
Mitchell leaves Newcastle at the end of June, so he will have to be quick in his negotiations – it should not be a problem for him.
Thanks to his negotiating skills, Mitchell convinced Cordero to reject Barcelona for Newcastle, a sign that he was the right person to take the club forward before announcing his departure.
Mitchell is yet to make a major signing for the first team since joining the Magpies last July, but bringing someone like Elanga through the door would ensure that he leaves the club with the best wishes from the fans.
Jacob Murphy – Loser
After his best-ever season with the Magpies, Murphy will be adamant that he keeps his place in the starting XI. Unfortunately, he will likely be forced to drop down to the bench in favour of Elanga should he sign.
Eight goals and 12 assists in the Premier League put him amongst some of the best in the competition last season, but it now looks like he will play second fiddle to the younger Elanga.
Despite the misfortune of dropping to the bench, Murphy is set to sign a new deal at Newcastle as a reward for his form over the last 12 months.
Newcastle still see Murphy as a big part of the squad for next season, albeit in a reduced role where he would become an impact sub rather than someone who starts every week.
William Osula – Loser
Outside of football, the pair look like great friends who regularly engage with each other on social media. However, Elanga joining Newcastle would spell bad news for William Osula.
The young attacker has shown glimpses of promise in his debut season for the Magpies, but Howe has kept him on a tether and limited him to just 14 league appearances.
Osula can play as a right winger, so he was a candidate to come in for Murphy in the event of any injuries, but Elanga joining puts him further down the pecking order.
With Newcastle looking to sign a striker, he is likely to remain the third-choice striker on Tyneside, which puts his involvement into question for another year.
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