Aditya Bose
Former Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga doesn’t regret leaving the Red Devils
According to the Daily Mail, former Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga doesn’t regret leaving our club for Nottingham Forest in the 2023 summer transfer window. As Erik ten Hag reduced his roster, Elanga was one of seven first-team players to leave Old Trafford in the summer for a £15 million deal.
Our leading scorer from the previous campaign, Marcus Rashford, has only scored once, while Antony and Jadon Sancho continue to struggle for form on and off the field. Amad Diallo is injured while Mason Greenwood’s future is far from certain. However, when we look at Elanga we can see that his form has not taken a nosedive and continues to thrive in a different shade of red.
He was the lone bright part for Nottingham in their 3-0 defeat to Liverpool and even struck the ball with a sensational volley. He appears to be thriving since leaving Old Trafford and believes it was the perfect decision for his development.
“For me the option for Forest is perfect. Leaving United was difficult and they are arguably the biggest club in the world but I have to think about what I want and how I see myself in the next few years growing and getting better every day. The perfect decision.”
In Ten Hag’s first season, the United academy star started just seven games in all competitions and managed a mere two assists. While he did not particularly stand out, United could have done with the depth he offered in the position this season.
It was expected that the Sweden international, who had made significant progress under former acting manager Ralf Rangnick, would have continued to grow under the Dutchman. However, Ten Hag failed to work the same magic he did on the tough at Ajax and Elanga had no option but to move on.
The 21-year-old has fewer chances of winning titles at Nottingham but the move does offer him the prospect of regular playtime. Manager Steve Cooper was a youth coach at Liverpool and helped bring up the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold. Surely, working under him would benefit the former Red Devils talent.
Due to Marcus Rashford’s outstanding season as a left winger last season, the Red Devils were happy to sell the 21-year-old. Everyone anticipated the Englishman, who led United in goal-scoring the previous season, only to be disappointed so far.
Elanga might not be setting tongues wagging with his performances, but regular playtime is the best foot forward for players seeking to develop their game. Unfortunately, it would have come at a premium at Old Trafford.
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While we would have loved to retain the Swedish winger, it is not possible for all players to be handed equal playtime at a club like United. Given how our current options have performed so far, it is understandable if a section of the fanbase believes we should have retained Elanga.
