Cursory comments regarding Newcastle United’s wealth must be frustrating for the Toon faithful, and indeed the powers that be at St. James’ Park.
While several divisional rivals have struggled to direct their hosepipe stream of transfer funds over the past several years, Newcastle have been diligent and calculated under the wing of Eddie Howe.
However, last summer’s window left plenty to be desired. In that regard, it’s all the more remarkable that Howe led his Magpies to glory in the Carabao Cup and sealed a place in next season’s Champions League proper after finishing fifth in the Premier League.
With talisman Alexander Isak expected to stay put now that Newcastle have registered themselves for a return to Europe’s elite stage, focus has turned to a right-sided forward.
However, Newcastle have already hit a bump in the road on that front.
Newcastle's search for a right winger
The overload of reports on the matter has made it clear for a while that Newcastle have held a vested interest in Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, one of the Premier League’s standout stars last season.
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Mohamed Salah
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29
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Alexander Isak
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Erling Haaland
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Chris Wood
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20
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Bryan Mbeumo
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Mbeumo finished fourth in the goalscoring charts, no doubt contented with his placement given the calibre of those ahead of him, and he would have added quite the dimension to Howe’s brood, had he not rejected interest from Newcastle and a host of further suitors.
The reason? Mbeumo has chosen Manchester United as his desired new stomping ground, in spite of the Red Devils finishing 15th in the Premier League and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur, another interested party.
Newcastle have missed out on Mbeumo, but they could yet secure a fantastic new winger. They might even have the perfect fit, having profiled him one year ago.
Newcastle strengthen interest in winger
According to The Northern Echo, Nottingham Forest are on alert as Newcastle gear up to reinforce their interest in Anthony Elanga, who was the subject of a rejected £50m bid on transfer deadline day in August 2024.
The Tricky Trees would expect negotiations to start in a similar ballpark, though in truth, United would perhaps need to pay north of that figure, having held initial discussions this year to discuss the possibility of a deal.
While fellow Premier League forwards Joao Pedro and Antoine Semenyo are on PIF’s radar, the 23-year-old Elanga is felt to be Howe’s leading target.
What Anthony Elanga would bring to Newcastle
Nottingham Forest signed Elanga from Manchester United for a fee of £15m in July 2023, with the young forward earning scant opportunities at Old Trafford.
Two years on, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone willing to testify that the star’s decision was a bad one, instrumental in the club’s rise into European competition last year and in staving off relegation during 2023/24.
24/25 – Forest
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23/24 – Forest
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9
22/23 – Man Utd
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21/22 – Man Utd
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20/21 – Man Utd
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Still only 23, remember, the Sweden international could become a bona fide star in the years to come, with a transfer to Howe’s Newcastle sure to spark an acceleration of development.
His blistering speed and powerful athleticism even suggest Elanga could bloom into Howe’s new version of Allan Saint-Maximin, though perhaps one who offers a tad more by the way of clinical output.
As per FBref, Elanga ranked among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 10% for goal-creating actions and the top 3% for crosses per 90.
Goal-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a goal. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
He didn’t rank that highly across ball-carrying metrics, but do not let this fool you: Elanga is one of the most electric wingers in England, simply reduced in his intensity due to Nuno Espirito’s pragmatic tactics (often hemmed in, Forest ranked 18th for possession with a 42% average).
He’s got that “X-factor pace”, all right, as was agreed by Sky Sports pundits Andy Reid and Jamie Redknapp. And in that regard, Newcastle could unearth their new version of Saint-Maximin, one who could offer more of a clinical threat than the fleet-footed Frenchman.
Saint-Maximin’s qualities have earned him cult status on Tyneside, with reporter Pete O’Rourke also noting his own “X-Factor” quality, having been hailed as a real “box of tricks” due to his frightening speed and dribbling prowess.
While his £23m transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli back in 2023 was bittersweet, Howe clearly knew what he was doing, however, with the winger posting 13 goals and 21 assists across 124 matches at Newcastle, a contribution rate of only 0.28.
Elanga, conversely, has been far more prolific in Nottingham, heaving an almost identical haul of 11 goals and 21 assists for the City Ground side, but doing so across just 82 fixtures in all competitions, a rate of 0.39.
Though Elanga wouldn’t bring the innate goalscoring quality of Mbeumo to the Newcastle fold, he could definitely make a big difference, promoting creativity and taking his athletic qualities into a more fitting park, with Howe’s expansive system allowing him to roam and find the likes of Isak in the middle.
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Of course, given that he only missed six big chances in the Premier League last term, converting six more, as per Sofascore, there’s every reason Howe could fashion this talented up-and-comer into a rip-roaring sensation, one bursting with completeness and layers befitting of a place in one of the most exciting projects on the continent.
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