Newcastle sold their original Anderson for £10m, now he’s worth 3x more

Newcastle United will now be hoping, with a depressing transfer window thankfully out of the way, that they can kick into gear in the Premier League when the international break is over.

The expected departure of Alexander Isak to Liverpool was, unfortunately, confirmed at the final hour of an action-packed deadline day.

Yet, it’s not all doom and gloom at St James’ Park, as the Magpies did manage to finally welcome in Yoane Wissa from Brentford to bolster up top, away from also securing the services of Nick Woltemade for a whopping £64m.

On top of that, they did at least manage to get £125m out of Arne Slot’s Reds to part ways with their prized Swede, with Newcastle not always driving the hardest bargain when it comes to the many twists and turns of incomings and outgoings…

Newcastle’s disastrous sale of Elliot Anderson

It’s hard to picture Elliot Anderson back in the famous black and white stripes of Newcastle, with the 22-year-old midfield engine now synonymous with Nottingham Forest, ever since clinching a move to the City Ground last year.

In another reality, the Toon would have surely kept a firmer grip on their homegrown gem, but to appropriately balance the books amid PSR concerns, the Tyneside outfit had to surrender and gift Forest the 5-foot-10 star for what looks like now to be a very cheap £35m.

He has since gone on to be a rip-roaring success for the Tricky Trees after lining up for 55 senior games for his boyhood employers, with two goals and seven assists falling into his lap from 45 clashes for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, leading to an England call-up under Thomas Tuchel for the very first time.

It’s safe to say Anderson shone on debut against Andorra on Saturday evening, taking home the Man of the Match award.

Once dubbed a “phenomenal” talent by ex-Bristol Rovers teammate Alex Rodman when first making waves in the senior game, it’s safe to say the well-rounded midfielder has soared to some unbelievable heights ever since waving goodbye to Tyneside.

He isn’t the only exit from the Newcastle midfield ranks that feels premature with hindsight on side, with the previous regime guilty of selling their original version of Anderson for just £10m all the way back in 2018.

Newcastle’s original Anderson sold too early

Thankfully, Howe does have a lot of quality brimming in his midfield department, with the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, and Sandro Tonali the first names on the 47-year-old’s teamsheet.

Still, for even more depth and competition, having Anderson around would be a luxury he wouldn’t turn down, alongside the prospect of having Mikel Merino back on the Magpies’ books for a second chance at the club.

Before becoming a well-known goal threat back on English shores with Arsenal, Merino was a one-season flop at St James’ Park, with only 14 league starts handed to the adaptable Spaniard before he was shipped back off to La Liga with Real Sociedad for £10m.

This has proven to be a costly mistake in the same realm as Anderson’s disastrous departure, with the “exceptional” midfielder – as he has been previously labelled by Spain manager Luis de la Fuente – going on to prove himself as a Premier League-calibre talent under Mikel Arteta.

Away from his standout nine-goal contributions last season in the hustle and bustle of league action, Merino also stood out as a combative and energetic option for Arteta, much like Anderson at Forest, with 4.9 duels won per game, not too far off his counterpart’s heftier total.

To further add to the anguish, Merino has also managed to excel for his nation to bring more similarities into view, with a goal picked up for Spain on the same international break Anderson won his first Three Lions cap.

With the Pamplona-born warrior now worth around the £30m mark, according to Transfermarkt, this feels like another major blunder on Newcastle’s end, away from focusing on just the much-talked-about disappointment of Anderson leaving.