Nottingham Forest has sold Anthony Elanga to Premier League rival Newcastle United, making a huge transfer profit on the 23-year-old Swede.
The Magpies are gearing up for the new season, in which Newcastle United will once again compete in the Champions League. The Premier League’s fifth-placed team from last season has now made its most expensive summer transfer by far with Anthony Elanga. The 22-time Swedish international (four goals) comes from league rivals Nottingham Forest and is reported to have cost Newcastle just under €64 million, including bonuses.
Newcastle’s initial offer of €50 million was rejected, before the club decided to add more than €10 million to the table. It is a remarkable deal and a huge transfer profit for Nottingham: in the summer of 2023, Forest paid “only” around €17 million to Manchester United – almost a quarter of the current sum.
Elanga, who is signing a “long-term” contract with Newcastle – probably for five years – has made a total of 82 competitive appearances for Nottingham over the past two years. The lightning-fast right winger was directly involved in 32 goals, scoring 11 himself and setting up 21 more.
“He was our absolute dream signing and I’m delighted to bring him in at this early stage of the preseason,” Magpies coach Eddie Howe admitted openly: “He is an exciting talent with qualities that make him a unique attacking force. His pace, energy, and ability to score goals will strengthen us.”
Forest loses goal threat
The prospect of more Champions League appearances is likely to have attracted Elanga, who will be reunited with his Swedish compatriot Alexander Isak. To date, he has only made three appearances in the Champions League for his former club Manchester United in the 2021/22 season (one goal).
The first reunion with Nottingham, which is losing its third-best Premier League scorer from last season in Elanga (6) after Chris Wood (20 goals) and Morgan Gibbs-White (7), comes quite early in the season. Newcastle will host Elanga’s former club at St. James’ Park on the 7th matchday in early October.
