Anthony Elanga under even more pressure as Newcastle United’s alternative is available for £65m

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Newcastle United are yet to be vindicated in their decision to sign Anthony Elanga.

The Swedish winger arrived at St James’ Park from Nottingham Forest for a fee of £55million, becoming one of Newcastle’s most expensive signings ever.

So far, Anthony Elanga is yet to live up to his price tag. He has endured a difficult start to life on Tyneside, with the 23-year-old unable to have the immediate impact that was expected.

Newcastle believe Elanga will come good, but how long that will take remains to be seen. There is certainly pressure on him to deliver given the amount of money he cost, and now that pressure has only intensified.

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Summer target Antoine Semenyo available for £65m

Heading into the summer, Newcastle’s top winger target was Bryan Mbeumo. Once they discovered he was unattainable, their focus shifted towards other targets.

Elanga moved to the top of the list, but Newcastle also looked at Antoine Semenyo at Bournemouth. His performances for the Cherries this season suggest he would have been a better buy, and now there is a chance he could be on his way out of the Vitality Stadium.

According to the Athletic, Semenyo has a £65million release clause in his contract that becomes active in January.

That would make him more expensive than Elanga, but it is also less than what he was going to cost in the summer. It was reported that Bournemouth wanted £70million for Semenyo, which was probably part of the reason why Newcastle moved for Elanga instead.

Newcastle United will persist with Anthony Elanga despite Antoine Semenyo clause

If Newcastle United fans could turn back time, they would probably implore the club to move for Semenyo over Elanga during the 2025 summer transfer window.

And while the Magpies may suddenly have a chance to rewrite history by activating the 25-year-old’s £65million release clause, it is not a chance that the club are likely to take.

Instead, they will put their faith in Elanga to turn around his Toon fortunes and eventually start flying in black and white. The potential is certainly there, and Eddie Howe will be working closely with the former Man United flyer to refine his game and get him to the standard required.

With his electric pace, Elanga has the potential to be a fan favourite at St James’ Park. Once that happens, there will be no one wondering ‘what if’ when it comes to Semenyo and Newcastle United.