Former Manchester United coach René Meulensteen has criticised the club for allowing Anthony Elanga to leave, suggesting that the Swede offered more promise than current winger Alejandro Garnacho.
The 22 year old came through United’s academy and made his professional debut in 2021.
However, after struggling for consistent opportunities under Erik ten Hag, he joined Nottingham Forest in July 2023 in a deal worth over €17 million.
Meulensteen, who worked under Sir Alex Ferguson during United’s glory years, believes the club may have made the wrong call.
Speaking to Poker Firma (via Voetbal International), he said: “If I’m honest, I’ve never been convinced by Garnacho. I sometimes have the impression that there is a personality or character problem with him.”
By contrast, Meulensteen was full of praise for Elanga. “His performance yesterday was exactly what you would expect from a Manchester United winger: strong, direct, powerful, full of confidence and he dares to visit his opponent,” he said.
“I thought I could see those glimpses when he played for United. But the club closed the door to him and then he restarted his career at another club.”
The ex-United assistant coach also suggested that the club needs to reassess its player retention policies. “You really have to ask yourself if the decision-making process to let players like him go is right because there are a few who have slipped by the fingers of United,” he added.
Elanga proved his point emphatically on Tuesday night by scoring the only goal in Forest’s 1-0 Premier League victory over United.
It was a performance that combined raw pace, power and precision — and one that cast doubt on United’s ability to replace him effectively.
Elanga’s goal came just sixteen seconds after United had taken a corner.
In a devastating counter-attacking run, he covered 85 metres in just nine seconds, evading Garnacho and Patrick Dorgu, shrugging off contact and using Morgan Gibbs-White as a decoy before finishing coolly past Andre Onana.
The Sweden international has clocked the fifth-fastest top speed in the Premier League this season and it showed. His goal marked his sixth of the campaign and third in two games, following a brace against Ipswich Town earlier this month.
Elanga did not celebrate wildly, opting instead for a muted response out of respect for his seven years at Old Trafford.
Featured image Alex Pantling via Getty Images
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Raj Dholakia
Raj is a seasoned digital writer and editor with a deep-seated passion for football. With over four years in the digital space, he has contributed to Sportlens, ManUtdNews, and is now proudly writing for The Peoples Person. His work is driven by a commitment to capture the essence of football, delivering content that speaks to the heart of fans worldwide.
