Everton set to hold direct talks with Manchester United for Anthony Elanga

Everton are reportedly set to start a fresh round of negotiations with Manchester United over the possibility of signing Anthony Elanga this summer.

Everton have been keen on signing versatile Swedish attacker Anthony Elanga from Manchester United since January and are set to reignite talks with the Red Devils to land the 21-year-old this summer, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Fresh off the back of an encouraging 2-0 victory in their first pre-season fixture against Leeds United, Manchester United are likely to offload multiple players during the upcoming transfer window as they look to secure more funds for the arrival of new signings.

Elanga is one of those expected to head for the exit door. The 21-year-old had a disappointing 2022/23 season under manager Erik ten Hag. Although he made 26 appearances, 16 of those came off the bench, with only 702 minutes of playing time over the entire campaign.

Truth be told, the Swedish winger has struggled to get into the first team at Old Trafford and has found himself on the fringes since he played regularly under interim boss Ralf Rangnick.

With many other wingers ahead of him in the pecking order and no indication that he is part of ten Hag’s plans moving forward, the Sweden international is now likely to pursue a new challenge elsewhere. And it is reported that the Toffees have started negotiations with the Red Devils.

The Toffees were reportedly already interested in a six-month loan move for the Swede during last winter’s transfer window, but nothing materialised. They will ramp up their efforts to sign the Manchester United youth product in the coming days.

Everton have been a disaster of a club in recent times. But under Sean Dyche, there has been a bit more stability. Despite flirting with relegation at the end of last season under Dyche, the squad is expected to evolve under the former Burnley boss.

Bringing in a player of Elanga’s quality would be a real coup for the Toffees. And given that the Manchester United prospect is still only 21 years old, he has plenty of time on his side to work on the physical side of his game.

Dyche likes a tenacious, traditional winger, and in Elanga, he will be getting a player who will work tirelessly down either wing, with bundles of pace and sharp movement behind the opposition’s defensive line, which is often very useful for direct, counter-attacking sides.

Recent reports have suggested Manchester United could demand a fee of around £15–20 million to sanction an exit for Elanga, whose current contract at Old Trafford does not expire until 2026.

Everton will need to be more creative with their recruitment this summer due to Financial Fair Play contingencies following mass overspending under Farhad Moshiri in the past. Thus, it remains to be seen if they can put forward a tempting offer to Manchester United for Elanga.