Anthony Elanga has revealed that the opportunity to reunite with Sweden teammate Alexander Isak played a pivotal role in his decision to join Newcastle United.
The 23-year-old winger completed a £55 million move from Nottingham Forest last week and is currently with the Magpies in Austria preparing for the new season.
Elanga, who has Cameroonian heritage through his father—former footballer Joseph Elanga—spoke about the allure of playing alongside Isak, who has become one of Europe’s most admired forwards.
Despite ongoing speculation surrounding Isak’s future at St James’ Park, the striker has remained in Austria with the squad, and Elanga is eager to develop their partnership.
“You look at this team, I could go through them all,” Elanga said in an interview with Sky Sports. “A player like Alex, he is one of the best strikers in the world… training with him and playing at international level with him has been amazing.”
Elanga is expected to feature in Newcastle’s opening Premier League fixture against Aston Villa on August 16.
However, uncertainty over Isak’s future could impact Elanga’s hopes of rekindling their Swedish national team chemistry at club level.
Regardless of that uncertainty, Elanga is enthusiastic about what lies ahead.
“I am really excited to put on this black and white shirt,” he said. “It has a lot of history. I want to form partnerships with everyone, even outside the pitch… that team spirit is vital.”
He added that he is focused on learning from his new environment and contributing to the team’s objectives for the season.
“We are going to need everyone if we are to win games this season. We are a team at the end of the day. We win together and lose together.”
