There are few players who make an instant impact so profound it convinces the manager to allow four players to leave. But Anthony Elanga has done just that.
Elanga has been preferred to the likes of Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford at left wing in The Red Devils most recent games, and the move has proven to be a stroke of genius and has helped United jump back into the top four.
According to ESPN, his emergence in recent weeks as a new starter for Ralf Rangnick’s Manchester United has convinced the interim manager to allow the departures of four other players in the squad.
Two from this selection of four have already departed, with Anthony Martial joining Sevilla and Amad Diallo joining Rangers in loan deals until the end of the season.
The report indicates Rangnick is now also prepared to let Donny van de Beek and Jesse Lingard leave as well, with both of these courting interest from a number of Premier League clubs. Though the latter’s move to Newcastle United seems to have collapsed over Man United’s demands for the package.
Paul Pogba’s impending return is also a likely factor in the thinking behind the moves as he will also cover for this loss of Van de Beek and Lingard in the final months of the season.
Having previously started just once for the senior team in a dead rubber Champions League affair against BSC Young Boys, Elanga has started each of the last three Premier League games, scoring in United’s 3-1 win over Brentford, a game which seems to have marked a turning point under Rangnick.
The 19-year-old will be hard pressed to keep his position due to Rashford’s strong form off the bench and the imminent return of summer signing Sancho.