Elliot Anderson impressed on his senior England debut against Andorra (Image: GETTY)
Elliot Anderson’s contentious departure from Newcastle United didn’t feel right at the time, and it certainly doesn’t feel right now. Saturday evening proved bittersweet for Toon supporters as England cruised to a World Cup qualifying triumph over Andorra with Dan Burn, Tino Livramento, and Anthony Gordon all featuring. However, the standout performer was undoubtedly the Whitley Bay youngster Anderson, a player who now has the footballing world at his disposal.
The journey hasn’t been straightforward for Anderson following his uncomfortable departure from a Scotland senior squad to preserve his England ambitions in 2023, before a back problem in the same campaign saw him sidelined for 27 matches during a period when he could have secured a regular first-team berth amid Sandro Tonali’s FIFA suspension for unlawful gambling. Fitness concerns aside at Newcastle, they possessed a budding talent firmly within their control until the former Wallsend Boys Club youth player had to be offloaded to ward off PSR difficulties.
One Geordie captured the mood on Monday morning when grumbling: “I’d have taken a six-point deduction to keep him.”
That’s precisely what Newcastle officials were confronting had they not approved the transfer of the ex-Valley Gardens student last June, something former sporting director Paul Mitchell acknowledged openly to 3,000 fans at a supporters’ gathering last November.
When the prospect of offloading Anderson was initially floated, the player’s representatives attempted to quash the notion and a potential switch to Wolverhampton Wanderers, who had shown keen interest, was swiftly dismissed.
However, as Newcastle’s predicament worsened and the Premier League’s PSR compliance deadline loomed ever closer, Nottingham Forest detected a potential opportunity.
Anderson has thrived at the City Ground since leaving Newcastle last year (Image: GETTY)
After the completion of a transfer that Eddie Howe admitted he never wished to sanction from the outset, the manager said last May: “The PSR deadline plays a huge role for clubs – both those clubs with PSR issues and those without – because those without may potentially look to try to sign players.
“We want to keep our best players, I think I’ve made that very clear. That’s not just the wish from me, that’s the wish from everyone at the club.”
Nevertheless, Newcastle failed to retain Anderson, and on what proved a catastrophic date in the club’s chronicles, June 30, 2024, the Whitley-born talent who had emerged as the jewel of United’s Academy was offloaded for just £35m with approximately £20m flowing directly back into City Ground coffers for reserve keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.
The Magpies also parted with Yankuba Minteh for £30m to Brighton, though the Anderson transaction was always a decision that threatened to return and torment Newcastle, which it now has.
Read more: Thomas Tuchel puts England stars on red alert following dire Andorra display
Bringing some perspective to the circumstances was Anderson himself, who acknowledged in the lead-up to facing Andorra that he might not have earned that international selection had he remained at Newcastle.
He said: “It was a tough move at the time but ultimately, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here now if I didn’t make the move.
“Sometimes you’ve got to step out of your comfort zone and believe in yourself, which is what I’ve done.
“I believed I was ready to go and play in the Premier League every week, and I don’t think I would be in this position now if I didn’t do it.”
If a £15m windfall for a player likened to Paul Gascoigne represents a painful blow, then the reality that there are no routes to bring Anderson back to Tyneside anytime soon proves even more agonising.
The 22-year-old remains contracted at the City Ground until 2029 with an enhanced deal probable should he maintain this trajectory.
No buy-back clause exists despite speculation that Newcastle could trigger specific provisions in his Forest arrangement, according to Chronicle Live.
Should Newcastle want Anderson to return, they would face paying full market price for the midfielder, with the Geordie talent now valued at minimum twice his original sale figure – potentially approaching £100m territory.
What remains at St James’ Park is ensuring Newcastle never find themselves in such circumstances again, which will feature prominently on new chief executive David Hopkinson’s agenda alongside the incoming sporting director.
The departures of Gazza, Peter Beardsley and Chris Waddle all proved excruciating and as Anderson thrives in England colours, this mirrors those heartbreaking precedents.
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