Manchester United’s Transfer Hurdles: An Elanga-Everton Deal Breakdown

This summer, the Red Devils had hoped to gain some fiscal leverage from the sale of one of their assets, Anthony Elanga. Unfortunately, this plan has been thwarted by the Swedish international himself.

A Red Devil Resistance

Elanga, only 21, is an enticing prospect on the transfer market this summer. The young forward hasn’t enjoyed as much game time as he’d hoped for at Old Trafford and the club hoped to turn this into an opportunity. However, when Everton came calling, the Swede pulled the plug, citing the Toffees’ approach to the game as the reason.

In a report by the Daily Mail, it was disclosed that, “Everton held direct talks with Elanga but the player has ruled out a move amid concerns over his suitability to Dyche’s tactics.”

This seems to have put the young forward in a challenging situation. While he is looking for an exit from Old Trafford, Everton, the most probable destination, is now off the table.

Old Trafford’s Order of Play

Last year, Elanga found himself tumbling down the pecking order. The arrival of Alejandro Garnacho and the purchase of Antony from Ajax meant less time on the pitch for Elanga. He managed to start only five Premier League matches in the entire season.

Man Utd: Buyers or Sellers?

Erik ten Hag’s team have been throwing around some serious money this summer, shelling out €116.7 million for Mason Mount and Andre Onana. But the spending spree isn’t over. The club is also chasing Rasmus Hojlund, Atalanta’s forward wonderkid. Gasperini, Atalanta’s head coach, values Hojlund between €80m to €100m.

While personal terms have been agreed, Man Utd have yet to negotiate the fee with Atalanta. This puts them in a predicament – needing to sell before they can buy. Elanga isn’t the only name linked with an exit; Harry Maguire has also been attracting interest from Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United.

So far, Man Utd’s summer sales only fetched a meagre €1m, courtesy of Zidan Iqbal’s move to FC Utrecht. David de Gea, Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe have all departed without a fee. A potential Elanga transfer could have provided some financial breathing room. Now, the question remains, where does this leave Man Utd, Elanga, and Everton?