‘Man United set for financial windfall following Anthony Elanga to Newcastle breakthrough’
Manchester United are set to receive some welcome financial relief in what has been a challenging summer so far.
The Red Devils are in the midst of a rebuild after a disastrous 2024/25 campaign, where they finished 15th in the Premier League table, a massive 24 points adrift of the Champions League places.
Man United missed out on Europe entirely thanks to their 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, severely damaging their revenue streams and ability to attract top players.
Ruben Amorim has managed to add Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha to his ranks from Wolves. However, pursuits for the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Ollie Watkins have not gone smoothly.
Things have become even more difficult for United following the expiration of sponsorship deals with Tezos and Marriott, worth a combined £27million per year.
Anthony Elanga to hand Man United much-needed financial boost
While some dark financial clouds have been gathering around Old Trafford of late, the club look likely to receive an unexpected boost.
Academy graduate Anthony Elanga has gone on to establish himself as a Premier League star since leaving United in 2023.
| 2024/25 stats (all comps) | Anthony Elanga |
| Appearances | 43 |
| Minutes | 2,749 |
| Goals | 6 |
| Assists | 12 |
The Sweden international has registered 11 goals and 21 assists in 82 appearances across all competitions for Nottingham Forest – including six goals and 11 assists in 38 Premier League outings last season.
As a result, Elanga has been the subject of much transfer speculation and now he looks set to play Champions League football this campaign with Newcastle United closing in on his signature.
According to the Northern Echo (7 July), that deal – believed to be worth £52m – will land Man United a “significant” financial boost thanks to the sell-on fee they inserted into his transfer to Nottingham Forest two years ago.
Man United could rue allowing Anthony Elanga to leave
Football Insider verdict
It’s true that Elanga was still a raw talent during his days with the Manchester United first team and the young winger only managed four goals and four assists in 55 senior appearances for the club.
However, his exploits since leaving Old Trafford have proven why he was such a highly-regarded talent. After all, this is a player who won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in 2020; an accolade previously given to the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Marcus Rashford.
His 17 direct goal involvements in the Premier League last season left him at least three clear of any of United’s current wide players. Amad Diallo was their top performer with 14 direct involvements (eight goals, six assists), with Alejandro Garnacho much further back on eight (six goals, two assists).
United have already splashed significant cash on Cunha, while further attacking reinforcements will not come cheap.
Perhaps showing a little more faith in one of their brightest stars, who scored a winning goal against them last season, could have saved Man United far more money in the long run than the sell-on fee they’re about to receive.