Former Manchester United forward Anthony Elanga has revealed the reason behind his exit from the club last summer after an impressive start to life at Nottingham Forest. The Sweden international joined Forest on a permanent deal from the Red Devils after failing to earn a regular berth in the side.
Elanga joined the Manchester United youth setup in 2015 and spent seven years learning the ropes before becoming a first-team player in 2022. The forward managed 55 senior appearances for the Red Devils before moving to Nottingham Forest in a €17.5 million move last summer.
Anthony Elanga has hit the ground running in his debut season at City Ground and is living up to the potential he showed in flashes at Old Trafford. He has contributed five goals and six assists in 23 league appearances for Forest this season and is one of their most important players.
Much was made of Elanga leaving Manchester United when he did, and the 21-year-old has revealed he left because of his hunger for game time. Speaking to Soccer News, he admitted that Erik ten Hag was not a factor in him leaving United.
“Whether Ten Hag was the reason I left United? No, I wouldn’t say that.”
“I just wanted to play, that was especially important to me.”
“I’m young and I don’t want to sit on the bench all season, you know? When you’re young you want to play, you want to make mistakes, you want to take risks. But he wasn’t the reason for my leaving.”
“I mainly focused on myself, not on others. Of course, I also saw what he did at Ajax.”
“But when you come to England everything is different. He has improved several players, for example Ryan Gravenberch, who now plays for Liverpool.”
“But I just wanted to take my chance and go somewhere else. And that was a good decision, because I am enjoying myself at Nottingham Forest.”
Ten Hag handed Elanga 26 appearances in his first season in charge of the Red Devils, with his time on the pitch totaling only 732 minutes. The forward trusted in himself and is thriving at Nottingham Forest.
Manchester United takeover passes Premier League checks
Sir Jim Ratcliffe agreed a deal to buy a 25% stake in Manchester United last year after a lengthy bidding process. The British billionaire will receive full sporting control of the club once the deal reaches its conclusion.
The deal has now been vetted and ratified by the Premier League, and has passed the league’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test. The billionaire hopes that a final confirmation is given for the takeover before the end of February.
Sir Ratcliffe has held meetings with the club’s players and staff, and has been spotted watching their games. The club were unable to sign players in the January window due to FFP concerns but will have no such problems come summer.
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