Elliot Anderson’s departure from Newcastle United is a source of regret and frustration for many associated with the Magpies, but who is to blame?
Newcastle United made the decision to let Elliot Anderson go last summer for a fee of £35m. They signed Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos in return for £20m, meaning just £15m profit was made on Anderson.
Imagine a world where Newcastle United are FORCED to sell one player in January. Who should it be? Let us know!
He is now one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and could join Man City for at least £80m. That’s despite intense interest from Newcastle to bring him back to Tyneside.
While Newcastle fans are furious about Anderson’s situation and how it’s all played out over the last year, there is only one direction the finger of blame should point.
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Nobody told Newcastle to sell Elliot Anderson
Anderson’s initial exit was a result of PSR pressure on Newcastle, with the Magpies needing to bring in money to balance the books.
Many have since said that the problem behind Anderson’s sale was all down to PSR, and while in a very general sense it was indeed, the financial regulations that forced Newcastle’s hand, no one told them to sell Anderson specifically.
The club is the only decision-maker that can determine which player stays and goes. Indeed, Anderson would have been more than happy to stay at the club he began his career at.
Obviously, it’s hard to predict the future, and I don’t think anyone quite expected Anderson to become an England regular and one of the most impressive midfielders in the division so quickly.
But, we are giving Newcastle’s owners and the likes of Paul Mitchell a free pass by saying they had to sell Anderson. They had to sell someone, but there must have been other alternatives.
Who could Newcastle have sold instead?
If you look at the current Newcastle United squad, there are two obvious sales the Magpies could have sanctioned last summer instead of Anderson.
Joe Willock looks destined to leave soon anyway, with Crystal Palace interested. Likewise, Joelinton has been criticised for his performances this season and it seems we are ready to call time on his Newcastle career.
If Newcastle United were to make ONE signing in January? Who would you hope it is? Comment below
While those two players wouldn’t have made as much profit as Anderson’s departure (and the value of hindsight allows us to assess this more clearly), the idea of selling one of the most exciting young players at the club rather than offloading players who are falling down the pecking order just makes no sense.
Sean Longstaff is another player the club could and should have sold last summer, rather than waiting until this year to send him to Leeds. The Magpies made around £12m profit on the academy graduate this summer… if only they’d done that a year sooner, then we wouldn’t be wondering what could have been for Elliot Anderson.
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