I can’t believe Newcastle United sold my teammate for £15m - we are lucky to have him
Chris Wood has admitted he was shocked to see Newcastle United sell Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest.
A frantic PSR scramble saw the Magpies face a possible Premier League points deduction. June 30 was approaching and Newcastle needed to offload players to create financial wiggle room.
Reports suggested Anthony Gordon may have become available - a sale that would have sickened Toon supporters. As it happened, the Magpies cashed in on youngsters Anderson and Yankuba Minteh, who joined Brighton.
Whitley Bay native Anderson has been a revelation for Forest since being given first-team football. His time on Tyneside saw Eddie Howe use him as a utility player, operating in various roles last season.
However, the Tricky Trees have given Anderson a licence to excel in his preferred midfield role. The former Toon prospect has helped push Forest into an unexpected Champions League race directly against his boyhood club.
Alongside Mats Selz and Wood, Anderson is part of an unforeseen trio who previously plied their trade on Tyneside. Goalscorer Wood - sold in 2023 for £15million - has also become a hit at the City Ground.
The 33-year recently penned a contract extension after netting 14 Premier League goals this season. Speaking to FourFourTwo magazine, Wood opened up about Anderson’s breakout campaign.
"I knew straight away that he was going to be a terrific player for us,” he said. “It was interesting to see him leave Newcastle because I knew how much he was valued up there, by the fans and by the people around the club.
"Obviously, things have to be done at certain stages of transfer windows, and we were very lucky to get him. He’s already shown his quality. The Forest supporters love him already and he’s got so much more to achieve here."