The ‘reservations’ Manchester United had over Anthony Elanga ahead of his sale to Nottingham Forest have been revealed after the winger scored a stunning goal against his former club on Tuesday.
Elanga covered 85 metres of the City Ground pitch in just nine seconds, taking seven touches, the last of which was a perfectly directed shot into the corner to beat Andre Onana and hand Forest all three points in their bid to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Elanga now has six goals and eight assists in the Premier League this season and the wonderful winner against the Red Devils inevitably led to debates as to whether United were right to sell their academy graduate to Forest for just £15m in the summer of 2023.
The Athletic has revealed the ‘reservations’ United had when they decided to sell the now 22-year-old despite ‘appreciating’ his other qualities.
Like many things with United, the answer is complicated. When Elanga departed, there was an appreciation at the club for his phenomenal physical talents but reservations over how he would parlay those skills into breaking down stubborn defences. Elanga on the counter-attack running into open space can be devastating, but it was of less use in a United team that had expectations to dominate possession during games.
Dean Whitehouse, who was an academy coach for United between 2000 and 2023, criticised the club for letting Elanga go in a recent LinkedIn post.
Whitehouse wrote: “Nottingham Forest fans witnessed a thrilling display at the City Ground as Anthony Elanga dismantled a strong Brighton side, assisting in three goals and showcasing the electric pace and attacking intent that made him such an exciting prospect at Manchester United. Watching him tear down the flanks, fearless and relentless, it’s impossible not to wonder: Why is he doing this in Forest red and not at Old Trafford?
“Elanga’s story at United is one of rapid rise and equally swift departure. As a kid in the Carrington cages, he played with joy, dancing past opponents in tight spaces, honing the kind of skill that cannot be taught through rigid coaching structures. He was a footballer in the purest sense, bold, expressive, and unpredictable. When Ralf Rangnick handed him his first-team chance, he embraced it with both arms, injecting pace and energy into a struggling United side.
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“The early signs were promising. He was fearless, direct and played with the enthusiasm of someone who knew the weight of the badge but was not burdened by it. He scored big goals, lifted fans off their feet, and looked like the next in a long line of great United wingers, [Steve] Coppell, [Andrei] Kanchelskis, [Ryan] Giggs, and [David] Beckham. But instead of being nurtured into a mainstay, he was deemed surplus to requirements. Sold for a relatively low fee, while United spent tens of millions searching for something they already had.”
