Why Newcastle want Anthony Elanga: Rapid dribbling, decision-making at pace, and crossing with either foot

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An important question asked during recruitment is how the profile of the player fits the team.

Quality and output aren’t the only measurements. How the player fits the team’s style and principles is as important.

Even when targeting a set of players who play in the same position, understanding their profile is vital because one player could be totally different from another.

For the past year, Newcastle United have been searching for a right-winger and that search has continued this summer, even after Jacob Murphy’s excellent displays. Eddie Howe already wanted another option on the right flank following Miguel Almiron’s departure in January. The additional Champions League fixtures coming next season mean a right-winger has become a necessity.

This week, Newcastle had a bid of approximately £45million ($62m) for Anthony Elanga rejected by Nottingham Forest. He is a logical target, registering six goals and 11 assists to help Forest finish seventh in the Premier League and reach Europe for the first time in 30 years. The 23-year-old’s output and impressive displays encouraged Newcastle to return for the Sweden winger after a failed move last summer.

Elanga’s profile is interesting because of how it could translate to this version of Newcastle. The right-winger can play on either flank, has shown defensive discipline under Nuno Espirito Santo at Forest, and has the pace and ball-carrying ability to be a menace on attacking transitions.

Under Howe, Newcastle have been a team that thrives on the transition, with the physicality of their midfielders and the speed of their front line essential.

The data illustrates their focus on getting the ball forward. ‘Direct attacks’ are defined as possessions that start in a team’s own half and result in a shot or a touch inside the opposition penalty area within 15 seconds — in other words, a counter-attack.

Newcastle’s rate of 3.9 direct attacks per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season was only second to Liverpool, and was the team’s highest rate under Howe.

Newcastle’s tendency to attack quickly on the transition plays to Elanga’s strengths. The right-winger’s ability to dribble at a high speed while making wise decisions means he is a threat when his team wins the ball and attacks an unstructured defence.

Elanga’s prowess on the transition was visible in Forest’s winner against Manchester United in April, when he collected Ryan Yates’ clearance and carried the ball forward from his own half and scored past Andre Onana.

Anthony Elanga’s goal against Manchester United has been voted Sweetest Strike for April! 🍬 pic.twitter.com/5TKESVDllL

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 2, 2025

If you watch the goal again, you can spot Elanga using both feet to dribble forward.

When he is near the opponent’s penalty area, Elanga pushes the ball with his right foot…

… and because he is proficient in using his left, he can quickly strike the ball into the bottom corner without needing to adjust his body shape.

In another example, from the 7-0 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion in February, Forest are attacking on the transition and Elanga uses his left foot to dribble past Lewis Dunk…

… before using his right on the next action. This allows Elanga to carry the ball faster — using the same foot twice would have delayed him for a fraction of a second.

Elanga’s pace and comfort with both feet allow him to speed past Dunk…

… and set up Chris Wood for another Forest goal.

Elanga’s other valuable asset on counter-attacks is his decision-making at high speed, usually taking the right amount of time to choose the best option.

In this example, against Tottenham Hotspur in December, Forest are attacking on the transition when Morgan Gibbs-White puts Elanga through on goal.

Elanga doesn’t rush and shoot with his right foot. Instead, he waits until goalkeeper Fraser Forster commits and curls the ball into the far bottom corner with his left.

A different example is his assist to Callum Hudson-Odoi in the 1-0 victory against Liverpool in September. Here, Elanga is carrying the ball forward on the counter, and there’s space to test himself against Virgil van Dijk.

However, Elanga sees that Hudson-Odoi is in a better position and switches the play towards the other side…

… putting his team-mate in a position to dribble inside and curl the ball into the back of the net.

Another part of Elanga’s game that fits Newcastle’s attack is his crossing ability. In the past couple of seasons, Howe’s side has focused on attacking the wide areas. Having a winger who can cross with either foot is an advantage.

Even if Elanga is playing on the right side, he can cut inside and deliver an in-swinging cross using his left foot. “It’s important to be able to go both ways,” Elanga told the BBC in April. “During lockdown, I trained a lot on my left foot.”

His proficiency with either foot allows him to open up different crossing angles and become more unpredictable. In Forest’s FA Cup tie against Ipswich Town in March, Elanga realised that the crossing angle was narrow and shifted the ball to his left foot to curl an in-swinging cross onto Yates’ head in the penalty area (cued up in the video below).

Elanga’s ability to dribble with one foot and strike with the other also allows him to capitalise on the small crossing angle that opens up before the defender closes down. Alternating his moves between his right and left feet speeds up his second action, as illustrated below in the 2-2 draw against Leicester City in May.

Last season, Elanga had the most assists from crosses (six) in the Premier League, and he only drops to second place when the stats are adjusted to a per-game basis for players who played at least 900 minutes. Meanwhile, his expected assists (xA) from crosses per 90 (0.12) was the 12th highest in the league in 2024-25, suggesting he overperformed his data slightly, but that he was still one of the league’s leading threats.

Those numbers are influenced by set pieces, which are usually disregarded when measuring creativity. In our context, they are important to include because they showcase Elanga’s excellent delivery from dead-ball situations, another area where his skills align with Newcastle’s strengths.

In the wide areas, Newcastle’s passing combinations have been a staple of their attack in recent seasons, and despite Forest not using it as frequently, Elanga has a profile that fits this attacking method.

His pace and off-ball runs are transferable to Newcastle’s wide combinations, especially with Bruno Guimaraes operating as the right-sided midfielder.

Elanga’s rapid acceleration in one-two passes, illustrated below from Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-1 win against Forest in April 2024, suits Newcastle’s wide combinations.

Defensively, Elanga showed discipline and understanding of his positioning when Forest defended in medium and low blocks. However, the unanswered question is about how he will fare in the high-press phase.

His pace and acceleration will help, but adapting to Newcastle’s front-line pressing also requires an understanding of the timing and angles of the runs.

All in all, it’s understandable why Newcastle want to sign Elanga. His profile suits the team’s style and his strengths are transferable to Newcastle’s principles.

(Top photo: Alex Livesey via Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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