Eddie Howe admits he would ‘love’ Newcastle to sign £35m Premier League Midfielder | OneFootball

Eddie Howe Reflects on Elliott Anderson’s Newcastle United Exit

Eddie Howe has spoken candidly about the circumstances that led to Elliott Anderson leaving Newcastle United, admitting it remains one of his biggest regrets as head coach. The 22-year-old midfielder, a product of the club’s academy, was sold to Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2024 for £35 million, a move that balanced the books but left Howe and the fanbase disappointed.

Financial Pressures and Forced Decisions

Newcastle United’s decision to part ways with Anderson was not driven by footballing logic but by financial necessity. With the club under scrutiny from the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules, the sale of Anderson, along with Yankuba Minteh’s departure to Brighton, became unavoidable.

The structure of the deal meant Newcastle effectively received only £15 million for one of their brightest homegrown talents, with £20 million spent on goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos, now on loan at Sevilla, factored into the equation.

Asked about the compromise, Howe said: “Yes, we knew that. We knew that the minute it was going to happen, or likely to happen, that we were massively selling him at a big discount.

“But the position we were in, we weren’t in a very strong negotiating position at all, and it was that or a points deduction. I’ve said many times we had no choice but to make the sale, but it was not one we wanted to do.”

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Howe’s Personal Regret

For Eddie Howe, the departure went beyond finances. Anderson represented the best of Newcastle United’s youth system, having spent years developing under the club’s coaches. Losing him, especially as he flourishes elsewhere, remains a sore point.

Asked about the prospect of Anderson returning, Howe said: “I don’t know, but certainly from my perspective I would love him to.

“I’m very respectful of the fact he is at another football club and I would never normally talk about a player in that way, so I won’t change that stance.

“But yes, it is very regretful a player from the academy who had given so much, and the club had given so much too, the coaching staff, all those years here and how people tried to develop those talents, for him not to be utilised here is a real shame.”

Anderson’s Rise at Nottingham Forest

Since leaving St James’ Park, Elliott Anderson has quickly adapted to life at Nottingham Forest. He has become a regular in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad and a vital component of Forest’s midfield. His progress highlights what Newcastle United lost, especially as he prepares to face his boyhood club at the weekend.

For Newcastle United supporters, it underlines the difficult balance between financial compliance and footballing ambition. For Eddie Howe, it is a reminder that talent carefully nurtured within the academy may sometimes slip away for reasons beyond his control.