Huge Anthony Elanga upgrade: Newcastle ready to bid for £100m “superstar”
Newcastle United enter the Christmas period as an inconsistent outfit, with their recent Premier League draw against Chelsea keeping them in the bottom half of the standings.
A two-goal lead after Nick Woltemade’s quick brace was not enough to seal three points at St. James’ Park, and with away form still leaving so much to be desired, there are real problems for Eddie Howe to solve.
These are more than just a few wrinkles across the Magpies’ fabric. There are systematic issues to overcome.
While defensive issues abound, with injuries piling up and United now without a clean sheet in ten top-flight fixtures, there’s a sense that attacking additions might be needed too, especially on the right flank.
Why Newcastle need a right winger
Newcastle solved their interminable right-sided problem this summer when they signed Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for £55m, but the Sweden international has been anything but effective this season.
Elanga’s Last Two Premier League Seasons
Stats (* per game)
24/25
25/26
Matches (starts)
38 (31)
17 (7)
Goals
6
0
Assists
11
1
Shots (on target)*
1.1 (0.6)
0.5 (0.2)
Pass completion
78%
79%
Key passes*
1.3
0.5
Big chances created
9
1
Succ. dribbles*
0.7 (39%)
0.2 (17%)
Ball recoveries
2.3
0.9
Tackles + interceptions*
0.7
0.5
Duels (won)*
3.0 (45%)
1.5 (33%)
Data via Sofascore
He’s regressed. Big time. Luckily, Jacob Murphy continues to play an industrious role, but his potency has been severed along with the link to Alexander Isak, and it’s looking more and more likely that Howe will need to convince PIF to dig into their pockets once again.
According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle are long-term admirers of Jarrod Bowen and would be ready to bid for the West Ham United talisman if he were to become available in 2026.
Irons owner David Sullivan is desperate to keep his club’s captain and has made it clear that he is not for sale this January, though it’s felt a £100m fee would be enough to get the deal done.
That, of course, is a huge sum, and one that suitors would not be happy to pay.
Why Newcastle should sign Jarrod Bowen
Howe and Newcastle have had Bowen on their radar for several years, and with relegation-threatened West Ham potentially skipping from the Premier League this season, there might just be a chance to secure the 29-year-old’s signature.
Bowen is no spring chicken, but he’s one of the most experienced wingers in the Premier League and has been a shining light in an otherwise dim Hammers system, their top scorer with five goals from 17 matches this season. It’s pertinent to note that he has only missed two big chances, as per Sofascore, and given his positional skill and ability to arc inward and into the danger area.
His kind of clinical quality would see him slot right into Newcastle’s starting line-up, shoving Elanga to the sidelines. The 23-year-old is only firing on goal once every two matches this season, and he’s hitting the target even less.
As per FBref, the £150k-per-week star ranks among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals scored per 90, and that tells a convincing tale of Bowen’s expertise and how he might thrive in a Newcastle set-up with a greater capacity to fire on all cylinders.
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But Bowen isn’t only a sharpshooter. He’s a “superstar”, as has been noted by writer Paddy Keogh. The Three Lions man has averaged 1.5 dribbles and 4.6 duels per league game this year, and he has long been well regarded for his ability as a playmaker, capable of whipping in mean crosses and using his intelligence to link up with strikers in the box.
There’s no question that Bowen is a cut above Elanga, who simply hasn’t been at the races since joining during the summer. And considering the inconsistent form the Tyneside club find themselves embroiled in this year, this could be a statement signing to propel Howe’s project back into the ascendancy.
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