Ruben Amorim, the manager of Manchester United, has responded to claims that the Red Devils erred in selling Anthony Elanga to Nottingham Forest.

The 22-year-old Elanga scored an incredible game-winning goal against his old team on Tuesday night, sending United to their 13th Premier League loss of the year.

Elanga picked up the ball well outside his own penalty area, sprinted across the field, and finished expertly beyond Andre Onana, but he chose not to celebrate his goal in the fifth minute.

The winger, who joined Forest for £15 million in the summer of 2023 after rising through the junior systems at Old Trafford, is having an incredible season after tallying seven goals and dishing out eight assists in the top division.

Amorim was also asked if United made a mistake in selling the 22-year-old after his game-winning performance at the City Ground.

The Portuguese stated, “We are talking about a lot of front players for Manchester United that are doing well but they had the chance here.”

“You don’t have the time at Manchester United.” There won’t be time for me. We must complete it quickly.

In his two seasons with Forest, Elanga has contributed 28 goals, more than any other wide player who has played for United during that time.

Amorim remained firm in his opinion despite the difficulties faced by Antony, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho—an undesirable trio that was sent out on loan.

He went on to say, “You are not referring to players who did not play for Manchester United.” They were representing Manchester United here.

Sometimes the strain is too much here, and you don’t have the time you need for these kids to grow.

But in order to sustain all of these children, you need a solid foundation; without one, we won’t be able to assist our children.

“They had their chances, but that’s just the way football is sometimes, and playing for Manchester United comes with a lot of pressure.”

After his family relocated from Sweden to England, Elanga joined United at the age of twelve. In May 2021, at the age of 19, he made his first-team debut.

The winger eventually scored four goals in 55 games with the Red Devils, but he moved to the City Ground less than two years ago after becoming dissatisfied with his lack of consistent opportunities.

In February 2024, Elanga spoke candidly about his departure from Old Trafford in an interview with The Times.

“I wanted to play and I didn’t want to spend another season just playing 10 minutes or not playing for 10 games, so it was difficult [to leave], but it was necessary,” he said.

I knew it would be difficult to leave a club where I had spent nine years, but I wanted a new beginning.

“Football is like that sometimes; it might not work somewhere.” I was excited because I had seen what Erik ten Hag done at Ajax with young players, but I simply didn’t get the chance.

“It’s about attacking the space and getting to the opposite goal as quick as I can,” Elanga remarked after scoring, which TNT Sports said saw him cover an incredible 85 meters in nine seconds. I think I’m among the league’s fastest players after seeing the space.

“I learned a lot at Manchester United, which is why I appreciate them so much.”