Anthony Elanga has held conversations with Erik ten Hag over a 'frustrating' lack of game time at Manchester United.
Elanga was a favourite of last season's interim manager Ralf Rangnick, but his progress at Old Trafford has stalled since the arrival of Ten Hag. The Dutchman brought Antony in from Ajax last summer, pushing the Sweden international further down the pecking order on the wings.
He has been on the fringes of the United matchday setup since that signing of Antony, starting seven matches across all competitions and just one since the World Cup - an issue compounded by the return of Jadon Sancho and the promise shown by Facundo Pellistri when handed the chance to impress off the bench.
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“It is frustrating. You want to play," Elanga said. "It is important. But if you don’t play, it’s not up to me but up to the coach.
“I have spoken to Erik [ten Hag] and it is private between the two of us. I know what he wants me to do and I can just keep training hard. When the opportunity comes, I just have to be ready to take it.
“We have a lot of dialogue, not only about it but also what is happening around. That’s the good thing about the club, we talk a lot and they help me a lot.”
Such was Elanga's plight in picking up appearances this season that the 20-year-old was linked with a loan move away from United in January. Everton, PSV Eindhoven and Borussia Dortmund expressed their interest with the latter seeming to come close to a deal before Ten Hag called it off, cautious not to offload players with such a congested fixture schedule on the horizon.
“There was talk about it [a loan move], but right now I’m focusing on United," the winger added. "We still have a big season ahead of us and need to finish it as well as possible.
“That was in January, now I can’t focus on it. The best I can do is focus on the rest of the season, then I get to talk to the club. I love the club, but it’s important for me to play. I’m still young. We have spoken to the club and they know what is required and I know what is required.”
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