£28m man 'replaced' as Newcastle United confirm Anthony Elanga squad number
Newcastle United have confirmed squad numbers for Anthony Elanga and Lewis Hall.
Newcastle United have confirmed Anthony Elanga’s squad number ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
Elanga became the Magpies’ first summer signing last week after joining from Nottingham Forest in a deal worth £52million plus £3m in add-ons.
The 23-year-old has been in Austria with his new teammates this week and could make his debut in Saturday’s friendly away to Scottish Premiership champions Celtic.
Anthony Elanga’s Newcastle United squad number confirmed
Ahead of the match, the Magpies have announced Elanga will wear the number 20 this season, having worn the 21 shirt during his two campaigns at Forest.
It means a change of number for Lewis Hall (more on that below), who had worn 20 since first arriving at Newcastle on loan from Chelsea in 2023. The move was made permanent for an initial £28m last summer.
"I like number 20 and I really want to create history with that number,” Elanga reacted. “I'm really looking forward to wearing it.
"Pulling on a black and white shirt with the number 20 on my back I think is going to be amazing - whether it's long-sleeved or short-sleeved! It's going to be memorable for me, something I'll forever hold in my heart."
Anthony Elanga quickly settling in at Newcastle United
Elanga has quickly settled on Tyneside, which has been helped by knowing several members of the squad already. The winger is close friends with Will Osula and knows Alexander Isak and Emil Krafth through playing at international level with Sweden.
“For me, I'm just happy to be here,” said Elanga, who scored six goals and provided 12 assists last season. “I've been here for a week now but genuinely I feel like I've been here for years. The lads, the staff, they've all made me feel so welcome.
“I'm just happy to be here and just want to showcase my abilities, my talents and really evolve my game, really take my game to a whole other level, which I believe I can with the likes of the gaffer again and his staff and the players here.
“That's only going to help me become even better. So far, it's been amazing and just looking forward to continue this way.
“I'm really excited, first of all, to put on this black and white shirt. I think it's got a lot of history in it and it's something I really want to buy into and stepping foot into St James' Park, first and foremost, stepping foot into my first game, will be amazing.
“I just want to form a partnership with everyone, even outside the pitch, form a partnership with different people because I know that's going to help me on the pitch, communicating that rapport, that team spirit. I think it's going to be huge and vital.
“I think for me, it's about building a relationship with everyone because we're going to need everyone. If you want to win trophies, you want to win games this season. We're a team at the end of the day and I think we win together, we lose together, we learn together. For me, that's the most important thing.”
Lewis Hall’s new Newcastle United squad number confirmed
Newcastle have confirmed Hall will now wear the number three shirt, which was last worn by academy graduate Paul Dummett.
The 20-year-old is currently recovering from foot surgery but hopes to be back on the pitch towards the end of pre-season ahead of the Premier League opener against Aston Villa on Saturday, August 16.
"With any injury, especially a long-term one, it's so up in the air," Hall said. "Some people can come back quicker, some people take a bit longer. It all depends on how everything goes. For me, my aim is to be fit and ready to go for the first game of the season, but to do that, I'd like to have a few pre-season games as well beforehand."