Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of winger Anthony Elanga from Manchester United.
The 21-year-old has put pen to paper on a five-year contract until the summer of 2028 and moves to the City Ground for a reported £15m.
Elanga, who will wear the No.21 shirt for Forest, becomes Steve Cooper’s third signing of the summer transfer window after the arrivals of defender Ola Aina and striker Chris Wood, the latter of whom made his loan move permanent earlier this summer.
Speaking to the club’s official website on his arrival at the City Ground, Elanga said: “It’s a pleasure to be here. It’s a proud moment, not only for me, but for my family as well.
“It’s the perfect next step for me in my career, it’s a big step and I’m really looking forward to playing in front of the Forest fans at The City Ground.
“I had interest from elsewhere, but for me, Nottingham Forest feels like the perfect place.”
“I’ve been here with United, and from the minute I stepped out for the warm-up, I could hear them from the changing room.
“It’s a special place, but being here with Forest, I feel like it will be even more special. I’m really ready for the challenge and I just want to embrace everything and get to work.”
Chief football officer Ross Wilson added: “Anthony had a number of excellent options in front of him to choose from so we are naturally delighted that from those he has chosen to become a Nottingham Forest player.
“From the first meeting we had, he was so committed to all aspects of how he can continue to develop working with Steve on the pitch whilst he was also excited and embracing of the ambitions that [Evangelos] Marinakis has for the football club.”
Elanga is an academy product of Man United’s youth system and he departs Old Trafford after nine years at the club where he made 55 appearances across all competitions, gaining experience in the Premier League, Champions League and Europa League.
The Sweden international has posted an emotional farewell message to United fans on social media, which read: “Making my debut, playing over 50 times for the first team, scoring in the Champions League and winning a trophy for this incredible club… If you told me that all of that would happen when I arrived in England at 11 years old I would have been buzzing.
“From the moment that I watched a game from the Stretford End as a young boy I’ve known that United fans are special.
“We’ll always have ‘Rhythm is a dancer’. It meant the world to me and my family every time that we heard that chant. There are not enough words to properly thank you for the unbelievable support.
“It is the right time now for the perfect next step in my career. I’m someone who lives for football and I need to be on the pitch every week doing what I love.”
Elanga could make his competitive debut for Nottingham Forest when they travel to Arsenal for their opening Premier League game of the 2023-24 season on August 12.
