The Story So Far: Anthony Elanga | OneFootball

Elanga was born in the Hyllie ward of Malmö on 27 April, 2002 when his father Joseph, who represented Cameroon at the 1998 World Cup finals in France, was playing for Sweden's most successful football club, Malmö FF.

After coming through IF Elfsborg's youth system, Elanga moved to Manchester at an early age and, following a brief spell with local club Hattersley FC, joined Manchester United's Academy at the age of 12.

The rapid winger made his debut for the Red Devils' Under-18s side as a 15-year-old in 2018 before finishing the 2019/20 campaign, shortened by COVID-19, as the club's top goalscorer at under-18 level, scoring seven times in nine league appearances, receiving the club's Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award.

The following season was where he made his breakthrough, scoring nine times in 16 Premier League 2 outings as well as impressing for Man United's Under-21s in their EFL Trophy campaign.

Aged 18, Elanga was handed his first-team debut for Man United during a pre-season friendly against Aston Villa ahead of the 2020/21 Premier League season and, after signing a new long-term contract at Old Trafford in March 2021, made his English top-flight bow two months later in a league clash against Leicester City.

The young Swede scored his first senior goal on his second Premier League start in a 2-1 win away at Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day of the 2020/21 campaign and, before the turn of the new year, was awarded a new contract to keep him at the club until June 2026.

After recording over a half-century of competitive outings for Man United, competing in the UEFA Champions League, Elanga completed a reported £15 million transfer to Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2023 on a five-year deal.

He ended his maiden campaign at the City Ground with five goals and nine assists in the Premier League, starring in Forest's 3-1 win against Newcastle after bagging two assists at St. James' Park on Boxing Day before scoring in Forest's 3-2 home defeat against the Magpies in February 2024.

Elanga registered 17 goal involvements in the English top-flight last term, including six goals and eleven assists, to help Forest claim a place in the UEFA Conference League after a seventh-place finish, securing European qualification for the first time in 30 seasons.

Playing in every league game of Forest's 2024/25 campaign, Elanga played an instrumental role in the Tricky Trees' 7-0 thrashing of Brighton & Hove Albion in February, providing a hat-trick of assists in the club's biggest ever PremierLeague win.

Elanga represented Sweden from under-17 to under-21 level before, eligible to play for either Sweden, Cameroon or England, chose to represent the former at senior level, making his international bow as a 19-year-old during a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier in March 2022.

Sweden, ultimately, missed out on competing in the finals in Qatar but, with the 26th edition of the World Cup taking place in North America next summer, the highly-rated forward will be aiming to follow in his father's footsteps in featuring at the star-studded tournament.

Elanga's move to Tyneside will also see the 23-year-old, who has scored four goals in 23 appearances for his country, link up with Swedish international teammates Alexander Isak and Emil Krafth.

He said: "Alex is someone I know really well, on and off the pitch. I had the opportunity to play with him at international level. I think being able to play with him at club level will make things a lot better.

"We'll be able to improve our connection even more so it's exciting, not just with Alex but all around the team."

The Magpies' first senior arrival of this summer's transfer window will be aiming to add further silverware to the club's trophy cabinet following March's Carabao Cup heroics as well as competing on the European stage for Eddie Howe's side this season, with the United head coach labelling the talented winger as "an exciting talent with attributes that make him a unique attacking threat".

Elanga added: "I can add a lot of pace and directness to the team. I think this team is amazing having played against them.

"I'm really looking forward to playing at St. James' Park and putting on the black and white top. It isn't just a shirt, or a job, it's a responsibility and privilege to (play for) this amazing and passionate fanbase that lives and breathes football.

"I'm excited to be here but, most importantly, I'm ready to show what I can do."