Newcastle United look set to sign Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for a large fee. Manchester United will profit from the deal due to a sell-on clause included in his sale
When Anthony Elanga came through at Manchester United, it was a dark time at the club because of the recent sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjær and the poor performance in the Premier League.
Ralf Rangnick gave Elanga a chance when the club was in a dire state and he helped inspire United into some good form, even if the season was still a poor one.
Unfortunately, the Swedish winger couldn’t assert himself in the same way under Erik ten Hag, despite assisting Jadon Sancho in the Dutchman’s first win against Liverpool.
Elanga couldn’t pick up regular gametime and instead found himself as a backup option for Marcus Rashford in his best season at the club, not an easy role to play.
However, the Nottingham Forest player will always be thought of fondly at United, due to his “Rhythm is a Dancer” song and his winner away at Atlético Madrid in the Champions League.
United to profit from Elanga sale
Due to his good form this season under Nuno Espírito Santo as Nottingham Forest finished seventh, Elanga is subject to interest from a move to Newcastle United, as Eddie Howe looks for a new addition to his attack.
Elanga would likely play on the right side at St. James’ Park, with Anthony Gordon or Harvey Barnes on the left side, but a transfer may not be so easy, according to Give Me Sport.
Forest are reportedly looking for a fee similar to what United will pay for Bryan Mbeumo when the deal is completed, but this worries Newcastle because Amorim’s side has just had a £55 million bid rejected.
United don’t want to get dragged into making bid after bid for Mbeumo this summer, perhaps learning from mistakes made in previous years before Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased a stake in the club.
United have tended to range their sell-on fees for Academy players at between 20% and 40%, and as a fee of around £60 million for both Elanga and Mbeumo looks likely, meaning United could earn between £12 million and £24 million should Newcastle complete the deal.
Elanga sale could boost transfer budget
While Elanga’s transfer fee will not generate significant revenue for United, receiving income for a player who hasn’t played for the club in several years will be highly beneficial for Rúben Amorim’s transfer budget.
The fee United receive could be used to sign young players, like Diego Leon or Sekou Kone, that Christopher Vivell and Jason Wilcox appear to specialise in due to their knowledge of academy football.
Signing more young players is a must for United, especially with no European football this summer, because they will be cheaper and will have more time on the training pitch to develop and adapt to the system.
The club need to stop signing older players on high wages because they won’t be here for the long term, and this will only lead to further cost-cutting that United can’t afford to do without angering further sections of the fanbase.
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