Newcastle United are set to announce the signing of Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga after he completed his medical on Tyneside, and Alan Shearer has given his verdict.
It feels like there is a lot of excitement around the club at the moment, and it is because Eddie Howe is finally getting a major addition to his first-team squad.
Newcastle United have not made a major signing since the 2023 summer transfer window, but any worries about another poor window can be put behind them as the club are now set to officially announce the signing of Anthony Elanga.
The transfer saga between Newcastle and Elanga has lasted for over a year. Howe wanted him in the 2024 summer window, but was given the cold shoulder by Nottingham Forest. Now, Newcastle have agreed a £55million deal for Elanga, who has since travelled to Tyneside and completed his medical.
Danny Murphy praised Newcastle for the Elanga deal, saying they are getting someone who is ‘dynamic’. Elanga will be linking up with Alexander Isak, his international teammate, once the signing is finalised, something which will surely keep Newcastle’s top scorer last season very happy.
With the announcement imminent, Alan Shearer has now weighed in on why Newcastle signing Elanga is brilliant business for them.
Alan Shearer loves Newcastle United’s deal for Anthony Elanga
Shearer admitted he was worried about Newcastle’s lack of transfer business, but the Magpies have turned over a new leaf since then and are on the cusp of making a major signing which significantly improves their options in attack.
For the first month of the transfer window, things did look bleak for Newcastle. They were priced out of a deal for Bryan Mbeumo and Joao Pedro rejected Howe for Enzo Maresca at Chelsea.
William Osula shared his delight with Newcastle signing Elanga, and Shearer feels exactly the same about the deal. Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, Gary Lineker asked Shearer for his thoughts on the signing.
“Very happy, I said the other day I was a little bit concerned with the lack of activity coming out of Newcastle, but it looks as if things are starting to move. I’m pretty sure we’ll get it over the line. I think it’s a good signing. He is rapid, he’ll work really, really well with Isak because they’ll obviously know each other. So yeah, really happy with that.”
“When you look at who they’ll have, Murphy and Elanga on the right side. They’ve got Barnes and Gordon left side. Isak up top.”
Newcastle United’s recruitment team should be praised for securing Anthony Elanga deal
There was a sense of unease on Tyneside after the Mbeumo and Pedro deals fell through. Many Newcastle fans felt as if this summer was going to be a repeat of previous transfer windows, where Howe was forced to compete with the same squad he had last season.
Thankfully, that does not look to be the case as Elanga’s medical has been completed, and he will now surely become a Newcastle player.
Newcastle’s recruitment team could have easily backed out of the deal when their £45m bid for Elanga was rejected by Forest in June. However, they persevered and Howe has got the player he has been so desperate to sign.
Fans should be thankful that they were persistent and did not give up hope on a deal being done. They have managed to sign him for a fee lower than Forest’s original £60m valuation. Private talks between Newcastle and Forest for Elanga took place in January, but Howe pulled the deal after Forest stated that they wanted Jacob Murphy in return.
The Magpies will now have Elanga and Murphy on Tyneside, two quality players who will be keen to push on next season in the Premier League and Champions League.
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