Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest could look to complete a potential swap deal for Harvey Barnes and Anthony Elanga, according to reports - with both clubs keen on bolstering their squads after securing European football via the Premier League.
Barnes has been superb in spells for Newcastle, but the emergence and form of Anthony Gordon over the past two years means that he's struggled for consistent starts - and with Elanga able to play on the right side of a three-man attack, he could be sacrificed for the Swede, who is the 'fastest player in the league'.
Report: Newcastle 'Prepared' to Offer Barnes as Makeweight in Elanga Deal
Newcastle could look to land Anthony Elanga in the coming weeks
Anthony Elanga in action for Nottingham Forest
The report by TEAMtalk states that Newcastle are stepping up their interest in signing Elanga from Forest this summer and are prepared to sell Barnes to make any deal for the Swede happen in the coming weeks. But in a further twist, Newcastle could even look to include Barnes as a potential makeweight in the deal between the two clubs in order to strengthen their right flank.
Anthony Elanga's Premier League statistics - Forest squad ranking
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Key Passes Per Game
Shots Per Game
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Including Barnes in a deal to land former Manchester United starlet Elanga would bring the overall cost of a deal down for the Magpies, allowing them to spend their budget elsewhere to improve upon their Champions League placing, which they'll look to do on a yearly basis.
Elanga is thought to be at the top of Eddie Howe's wanted list after an impressive season in the east Midlands, though Forest won't let him leave without a fight, and if bringing Barnes to the club could do that, it's a superb alternative to have. Barnes produced the business for Leicester City in the Premier League over four full seasons before doing the same again for Newcastle for two years, so the experience and nous is clearly there.
The trump card which goes in Newcastle's favour is Elanga's preference to play Champions League football, which he would be able to do regularly at Newcastle - a huge pull in comparison to Forest's campaign where they only mustered qualifying for the Conference League despite a strong start to the campaign.
Elanga is also 'close friends' with current star striker and compatriot Alexander Isak. That could be pivotal to a move which would see them blossom for both club and country.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 22-06-25.
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