Signing Anthony Elanga for £15m is a good piece of business from Nottingham Forest. Selling Elanga for £15m is a piece of business from Manchester United that should be questioned.
Following a campaign which saw Elanga make only seven starts in all competitions, Elanga will enjoy a deserved fresh start at Forest, who have bolstered their attack with this transfer. But given a number of factors, United really could have tried to attain a higher fee in exchange for their talent.
You might argue that because Elanga started so few games, and was seemingly not a part of manager Erik ten Hag’s plans, with Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Facundo Pellistri all higher in the pecking order for wide positions last season, that acquiring the sum of £15m was fair.
However, that alone should not determine the attitude towards the agreed fee. United should have got a better deal which properly reflects Elanga’s value and potential. At 21, Elanga is a Swedish international, with 12 games and 3 goals to his name. Elanga is also one of the many academy graduates to play for United’s first team, registering 55 appearances over three seasons, which is something worth praise. He scored in the Premier League, and to equalise during a Champions League knockout tie against Atletico Madrid; Elanga was one of the bright spots in Ralf Rangnick’s disappointing spell as interim head coach.
The transfer also coming with no add ons, means United will be unable to gain any additional funds, if Forest were to sell Elanga for a higher fee in the coming years. To put things into perspective, Manchester City sold goalkeeper James Trafford to Burnley, also for £15m, but with add-ons that mean the sale could reach £19m. Trafford recently won the under-21 European Championships with England, going the entire tournament without conceding a goal.
But, Trafford had not played one minute of football for City before departing, instead plying his trade in the lower leagues, with Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers. This is not to undermine Trafford’s talent and potential, but to instead point out how United could have gained more from selling a player who was a valuable asset.
ten Hag explained how although there were things to work on, that he saw a lot of potential in Elanga, even cutting off a loan move in January to Dortmund, so that United’s squad was as strong as possible amidst injuries.
This summer has seen very good business from United overall, as they have made necessary signings, that offer huge quality, and deal with in-game issues faced last season. Mason Mount will offer industry and creativity to midfield, and Andre Onana is a goalkeeper not only good with making saves, but also making passes too. Though United again could have done better with the deal to sell Elanga. Hopefully for their sake, the money acquired will go towards singing another player they do need, notably a centre-forward.
In Forest’s case, they are a better outfit following Elanga’s arrival. The winger can play on either flank, and in a more central role. Last season, Forest largely played a back three shape (3-5-2 or 3-4-2-1), and a 4-3-3. Elanga could occupy a number of roles in either shape. Elanga is a busy, quick, direct attacker who makes runs in behind the opposing defence. His willingness to move into positions, whether it be in behind the defender, or across from the wing, and into the box, can give an attack an extra dimension when trying to carve out opposing defences and create chances. These sorts of movements can be hard to track and mark.
This season, they can expect someone who is direct, positive and someone who will get them goals. I want to light up the fans and get them off their feet.
Elanga on what fans can expect this season (Interview with Nottingham Forest)
This would add to the qualities already offered by Brennan Johnson, whilst also enable, and benefit, from the creativity of Morgan Gibbs-White, who is excellent at carrying the ball forward from deep, and either exchanging passes with a forward, or laying the ball off to meet a run.
Not to mention the winger’s proactive nature on the ball. His data from last season, courtesy of Fbref, supports the view that although lacking in the goal department, Elanga was still handy when United were trying to get the ball into the box, both getting the ball into the box himself, and moving into positions inside the box which invited passes.
It is arguable that a greater sample size, which would be the result of more playing time, would allow for a truer reflection of Elanga’s competence in front of goal.
*Data is very useful, but when looking at it much like now, there are varying factors which determine results; playing time, a team’s playing style and how a player is used, a team’s form.
Forest went unbeaten in the final four games of last season, as they finished a respectable 16th in the table, having just been promoted the season before, and will look to build on that this coming season. Elanga, Johsnon, Gibbs-White and co., make for a decent chance of Forest prolonging their time in the top flight.
Sources: BBC Sport, Nottingham Forest, Fbref
The Conventional Playmaker 