Newcastle United have reached an agreement to sign Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for a reported £55m [$74m].
The deal reportedly includes an initial £52m [$70m] fee, with additional performance-based bonuses included in the final structure.
Elanga has accepted personal terms on a five-year contract and is scheduled to undergo a medical within 48 hours.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the transfer is complete on both club and player sides, pending final procedures.
The 23-year-old joined Nottingham Forest from Manchester United in July 2023 and quickly became a first-team regular with the swede even playing all 38 Premier League matches last season, where he scored six goals and assisted 11 more.
Only Mohamed Salah and Jacob Murphy registered more total assists than Elanga in the league last season.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Forest had earlier rejected a £45m [$61m] offer from Newcastle before accepting the improved bid in July.
Manchester United will receive a sell-on fee, having included a clause during Elanga’s transfer to Forest.
What will Anthony Elanga bring to Newcastle United?
Elanga’s skillset fits Eddie Howe’s high-paced, high-pressing style and his stamina also allows him to backtrack defensively, supporting the full-backs and adding to Newcastle’s pressing from the front.
Statistically, too, he did well last season. He topped the league with six assists via crosses last season.
He drops down to second when we adjust these figures on a per-game basis, accounting for all players who played 900 minutes or more.
He managed to put up these numbers even when you consider how rarely Forest built play as a wide combination.
Elanga thrives on both flanks and can cross or shoot with either foot.
His two-footedness, uncommon in the modern game as a winger, affords him the unpredictability that makes defenders second-guess their own movements and anticipate his, but he, however, does much more than simply use pace to take chances when the opportunities in front of him are once again presented to him.
Through good decision-making in combining those two elements, his crossing from set-piece positions might now act as a quieter weapon against defenders.
With Bruno Guimaraes to his right and Isak’s positioning centrally, Elanga’s delivery combined with his off-the-ball movement could really extend the attacking threat of this Newcastle side.
Newcastle United news and related links
