It hasn't been the best of seasons for Manchester United this year, as the Red Devils have seen their side bounce erratically from brilliant wins to confounding defeats.
Erik ten Hag has looked lost at points in the campaign, and there is still a lingering question about whether he'll be in the hot seat come August.
It's not just performances that have gone wrong, either. One of the club's big-money summer signings, Mason Mount, has missed large chunks of the campaign through injury, and now a player who was sold in the summer is worth more than him.
Mason Mount's valuation this season
United completed the £55m signing of Mount from Premier League rivals Chelsea in July of last year to both excitement and trepidation.
The positive angle was that the Red Devils had just signed a full England international from a direct rival who had been named their Player of the Season twice in the last few years and had 70 goal involvements to his name for them in 195 appearances.
However, the concern stemmed from his underwhelming 2022/23 campaign, in which he scored three goals and provided six assists in 35 games, and the fee, which was undeniably high for a player with one year left on his contract.
Unfortunately for the fans and the player himself, it looks like those who were less than enthused about the deal have been vindicated thus far. Since his move to the Theatre of Dreams, the Portsmouth-born star has played just 13 competitive games for the club, in which he's provided a solitary assist, due to a slew of injuries that have seen him spend 147 days on the sidelines.
This lack of game time and undeniably poor output on the pitch have seen his valuation crater in recent months. The CIES Football Observatory now prices the former Blues star at just €20m, or £17m, which is £38m less than he cost in July and less than a player Ten Hag sold in the same month.
Anthony Elanga's valuation this season
Yes, former United prospect and full Swedish international Anthony Elanga is the man in question.
Ten Hag sanctioned his £15m sale to Nottingham Forest in July last year, which, upon reflection, was a terrible decision from the Dutch manager.
In just 31 appearances for the Tricky Trees this year, the 21-year-old has scored five goals and provided seven assists, meaning he is averaging a goal involvement every 2.5 games.
1
Anthony Elanga
5
7
12
2
Chris Wood
10
1
11
3
Taiwo Awoniyi
6
3
9
3
Morgan Gibbs-White
4
5
9
4
Callum Hudson-Odoi
4
3
7
5
Nicolas Dominguez
3
2
5
His haul of 12 goal involvements also makes him the most dangerous player at the City Ground, with Chris Wood coming in a close second on 11 and Taiwo Awoniyi and Morgan Gibbs-White tied for third with nine. In contrast, he would be the joint fourth most dangerous player at United.
This impressive upturn in form has seen his valuation soar in recent months, with the CIES Football Observatory now pricing the "electric" winger, as described by former professional Paul Robinson, at around €30m, or £26m, which is £11m than he was sold for and £9m more than Mount.
1
Rasmus Hojlund
13
2
15
2
Bruno Fernandes
8
9
17
3
Marcus Rashford
8
6
14
4
Scott McTominay
9
3
12
5
Alejandro Garnacho
7
4
11
Ultimately, selling Elanga last summer probably looked like the right thing to do when United were looking to push on from their third-place finish. However, with the season they're having now, it sure feels like Ten Hag could make use of a dynamic player like him in the squad.