‘Nottingham Forest squad left concerned by Anthony Elanga exit’

Nottingham Forest are enduring a tough summer after former star player Anthony Elanga joined Newcastle United.

Elanga helped the East Midlands club qualify for European football by scoring six goals and producing 11 assists in 38 Premier League appearances.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men missed out on a top-five spot, but the Sweden international will enjoy Champions League football with Newcastle.

Following the East Midlands club’s largely successful campaign, Football Insider have exclusively revealed that Morgan Gibbs-White will likely join Tottenham despite Forest’s protests regarding the transfer.

Anthony Elanga scored a brace
Credit: Getty Images

Nottingham Forest players have tactical concerns after Elanga’s exit

Espirito Santo’s Nottingham Forest caught the eye last season by going against the mold of playing possession football in the Premier League, instead opting to devastate opponents on the counter-attack.

Elanga played a vital role for the City Ground outfit thanks to his pace out wide, which complemented the goal-scoring services of target man Chris Wood.

According to the Daily Mail [16 July], some Nottingham Forest players are concerned about whether last season’s playing style can be as effective without Elanga’s speed out wide.

Nottingham Forest - Nuno Espirito Santo generic
Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media

Forest set for tough season

Football Insider verdict

Although Nottingham Forest’s poor form at the end of last season was responsible for the fact that they fell away from the Champions League places and into seventh spot, Espirito Santo’s men should still be proud of their exploits.

Anthony Elanga statsPremier League 2024/25
Appearances38
Goals6
Assists11
Elanga is a big loss for Forest

Just one year on from enduring a Premier League relegation battle, the East Midlands side secured European football and reached the FA Cup semi-finals.

Meanwhile, after Crystal Palace were demoted to the Conference League for breaching multi-club ownership rules, Forest are set to be handed a Europa League place, according to talkSPORT [15 July].

Espirito Santo would already have a tough job on his hands to ready his squad for the challenge of juggling Europa League responsibilities alongside their Premier League responsibilities.

But the exit of Elanga and the likely departure of Gibbs-White have only made matters worse for Nottingham Forest, who now appear unlikely to launch another Champions League push next season.