With Anthony Elanga officially joining Newcastle United from Nottingham Forest, we assess whether he’s the right-wing upgrade the Magpies have been waiting three seasons for.
Jacob Murphy was among the Premier League’s most consistent wide forwards last season, directly contributing to 20 of Newcastle United’s 68 goals — nearly 30% of their total — with eight goals and 12 assists in the 2024-25 campaign.
His 12 assists were second only to the brilliant Mohamed Salah (18) in the league, while his 11 open-play assists were unmatched by any Newcastle player since Laurent Robert recorded the same tally in 1999-2000.
Given those numbers, Murphy would be justified in feeling overlooked following the club’s acquisition of Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for a reported £55 million. Elanga’s arrival likely pushes Murphy into a backup role on the right wing — despite his stellar form.
Newcastle had long pursued Elanga, first showing interest last summer. His signing marks the culmination of a three-year search for a reliable right-sided attacker.
Aside from Miguel Almirón’s brief purple patch in late 2022 — when he scored eight goals in nine league matches — Newcastle lacked a consistent threat on the right. Matt Ritchie was a stopgap early in Eddie Howe’s tenure, and while Yankuba Minteh showed promise, he was immediately loaned out and then sold to Brighton without making a first-team appearance.
Murphy has been the only dependable right-wing option throughout Howe’s three full seasons in charge — until now. But at 26, Elanga brings youth, pace, and Premier League experience that could help Newcastle compete on multiple fronts, including the Premier League, Champions League, and domestic cups, as they build on their 2024-25 League Cup triumph.
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Elanga’s Assist Record Impresses, But Creative Depth Remains in Question
The headline stat that grabs attention when evaluating Anthony Elanga’s time at Nottingham Forest is his assist tally. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Elanga is one of just three players to register 20 or more assists in the Premier League — trailing only Mohamed Salah (28) and Ollie Watkins (21).
What makes his achievement particularly noteworthy is context. Unlike Salah and Watkins, who played for high-performing teams — Liverpool and Aston Villa — that collected 166 and 134 points respectively over the past two seasons, Elanga played for a Forest side that managed just 97 points in the same period. His ability to rack up assists in a less dominant team is, on the surface, a sign of high creative value.
However, a deeper dive into his overall creative metrics paints a more complex picture. While assists are eye-catching, they don’t tell the full story. Playing in a team that emphasizes quick transitions over controlled possession — and generally sees less of the ball — means Elanga had fewer opportunities to create chances through sustained build-up play.
Across his 4,940 minutes in the Premier League over two seasons, Elanga averaged just 20.9 touches in the final third per 90 minutes — significantly lower than elite creators like Salah (31.8), Ødegaard (33.3), Kulusevski (30.7), Palmer (25.5), and Bruno Fernandes (26.4).
As a result, Elanga ranks joint 57th in open-play chances created (60) since the start of 2023-24 — level with Abdoulaye Doucouré and 90 behind Salah’s league-leading 150. The 2024-25 season tells a similar story, with Elanga ranked joint 70th for open-play chances created, alongside Haaland and Jackson — both of whom are finishers rather than creators.
Adjusting Elanga’s creative metrics for context reveals a more encouraging picture. When analysing open-play expected assists (xA) and standardising them per 100 open-play passes — a method that neutralises differences in team playing styles — Elanga’s standing begins to improve.
Expected assists provide a clearer measure of pass quality, rewarding players for delivering balls into dangerous areas, regardless of whether they lead to a shot. Much like expected goals (xG), xA is measured on a scale from 0.0 to 1.0, with higher values indicating a greater likelihood of a pass resulting in a goal.
Although Elanga still trails behind the likes of Salah (0.74 xA per 100 open-play passes) and Bukayo Saka (0.80), his 0.39 average puts him on par with Ødegaard, just behind Eze and Semenyo (both 0.40), and ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold (0.38), Morgan Gibbs-White (0.38), and Callum Hudson-Odoi (0.30).
Murphy’s 0.65 average might appear significantly better — nearly double Elanga’s — but factoring in the eye test and Elanga’s raw talent suggests there’s room for optimism. With Newcastle’s more possession-oriented and attack-minded system, Elanga has every chance to match or surpass Murphy’s creative influence from the 2024-25 season.
Elanga’s Pace and Ball-carrying Power Make Him a Unique Threat
One of Anthony Elanga’s greatest weapons is his ability to carry the ball up the pitch with exceptional speed and purpose — a quality that made him one of the Premier League’s most dangerous transition players in 2024-25.
Among the 306 players who logged at least 1,000 minutes last season, the Swedish winger led the league in three key metrics: average carry distance (14.3 metres), average progressive carry distance (11.9 metres), and the percentage of total carry distance that was progressive (75.5%).
This relentless forward momentum made him a vital outlet for Nuno Espírito Santo’s counter-attacking system at Nottingham Forest, helping the team secure an impressive seventh-place finish.
Elanga’s most memorable example of this came in Forest’s April clash with Manchester United. Picking up the ball in his own half, he surged forward 54.1 metres in just 16 seconds before firing home — the longest ball-carrying distance before a goal in the Premier League last season. His explosiveness in transition is something Newcastle will be eager to unleash.
For anyone who saw that goal, it’s no surprise that Elanga recorded the highest top speed of any winger or forward in the Premier League last season, reaching 36.7 km/h.
Even more daunting for Newcastle’s opponents next season, Elanga will team up with Anthony Gordon at St James’ Park, forming one of the most industrious attacking duos in the English top division.
Among players with at least 1,000 Premier League minutes last season, Elanga ranks third in sprints per 90 minutes (26.2) and is tied for first in the percentage of distance covered while sprinting (5.1%).
Leading both categories is Gordon, with 28.8 sprints per 90 and the same 5.1% of distance sprinting, while Tino Livramento — who could play right-back behind Elanga — also ranks within the top 20 for both metrics.
One criticism of Elanga’s effectiveness on runs and dribbles is his below-average take-on success rate. He succeeded in just 28% of his attempts (25 out of 90), falling short of the Premier League average for wingers and forwards, which stands at 38%. This suggests he is more dangerous when given space to run into rather than operating in tight, crowded areas.
Elanga’s Two-footed Shooting Adds Versatility to his Finishing
Despite scoring just six Premier League goals last season, Elanga showed clear progress in his shooting efficiency.
He improved on his 2023-24 tally at Forest by one goal (6 vs. 5) but did so with 10 fewer shots (44 compared to 54), achieving a career-best conversion rate of 13.6%. Additionally, he hit the target with 55% of his shots—up from 43% the previous season—even though the average quality of his chances (0.10 xG per shot) was slightly lower than in 2023-24 (0.12).
While these numbers aren’t yet enough to confirm a consistent upward trend, Newcastle will hope Elanga can increase his shot volume and develop into a more complete attacking threat.
A key asset for the Magpies is Elanga’s ability to shoot effectively with both feet. This two-footedness allows him to adapt to different shooting positions without needing to shift the ball onto his stronger foot, reducing unnecessary touches at crucial moments.
Last season, he took 65% of his non-headed shots with his right foot and 35% with his left, making him one of only nine players (out of 62 who attempted 40+ non-headed shots) to maintain a difference of 30 percentage points or less between shots taken with each foot.
Looking at his entire Premier League career, that balance is even closer, with 61% of his non-headed shots coming from his right foot and 39% from his left.
Elanga’s two-footed ability suggests he could comfortably cover the left wing as well, adding valuable versatility for Newcastle in the 2025-26 season as they prepare for a much busier schedule.
After missing out on European competition last season, Newcastle now face eight additional fixtures before the end of January thanks to their qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
In 2024-25, only Nottingham Forest (23) used fewer players in the Premier League than Newcastle, and only Brentford (20) had fewer starting players than Eddie Howe’s team (22). This signals that Newcastle are likely to be active in the transfer market over the coming months.
Elanga is the club’s first senior signing this summer — a promising start to their recruitment drive.
Read More: Mohammed Kudus at Tottenham: Elite Dribbler Who Brings New Life to Spurs’ Possession and Attack
FAQs
Who is Anthony Elanga?
A 23 Year-Old-Young Swedish winger recently signed by Newcastle United from Nottingham Forest.
Why did Newcastle sign Elanga?
To strengthen their right-wing options after searching for a consistent attacker for three seasons.
How does Elanga compare to Jacob Murphy?
Elanga brings more pace, youth, and Premier League experience, though Murphy was Newcastle’s most consistent wide forward last season.
What are Elanga’s key strengths?
His speed, ball-carrying ability, two-footed shooting, and creative assists record.
Will Elanga play only on the right wing?
His two-footed ability suggests he could also cover the left wing, offering Newcastle valuable versatility.
