MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 07: Christian Eriksen of Manchester United tackles Danny Welbeck of Brighton during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford on August 07, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
If Manchester United are going to lure back one of their academy products, it has to be Anthony Elanga rather than Danny Welbeck.
The outspoken Gary Neville has recently suggested that the 34-year-old Brighton striker would be able to offer something different for the Red Devils and would be able to seamlessly adapt to Ruben Amorim’s tactics.
“He’s actually perfect for how Manchester United should play, threatening space in behind, playing off front players. This idea that he’s not good enough for Manchester United is absolutely rubbish. He’s good enough to be in a pool of three or four strikers at Manchester United,” said the legendary Man Utd captain during his Sky Sports appearance.
Neville also insisted that the club gave up on Welbeck too soon when they sold him to Arsenal in 2014, simply because Louis van Gaal didn’t fancy his style of play.
But at least the striker had a chance to prove his worth at Old Trafford, making 142 appearances for the senior team. The same can’t be said about Elanga who only featured for United on 55 occasions, coming off the bench more often than not, before being shown the door at the age of 21.
Why Man Utd could consider bringing back Anthony Elanga
At the time, the Swedish winger didn’t consider his sale to Nottingham Forest as a travesty. In fact, he was actually relieved to depart the club since he was no longer enjoying his football at Carrington (for obvious reasons), as he admitted.
Nevertheless, the 22-year-old is now thriving under the guidance of Nuno Espirito Santo. He has contributed with three goals and eight assists this season, raising his overall EPL tally to 11 goals and 20 assists.
Anthony Elanga has assisted Chris Wood 10 times in the Premier League since the start of last season, that’s the most of any one assister-goalscorer combination in the division in that timeframe.
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Moreover, Elanga has been showcasing great tactical adaptability, featuring all over the pitch. He’s currently playing as a second striker alongside Chris Wood, but he can also be fielded on either flank, or even in a more central role.
Hence, the Sweden international would be capable of filling several positions in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation. Since he’s a right-footed player, he could be the perfect partner for Amad Diallo, playing as a left winger/attacking midfielder. Moreover, his accurate crossing and hard-working ethics would allow him to cover at wingback if required.
