Newcastle United are beginning to ramp up their efforts in the transfer window - and that has seen them make a bid for Nottingham Forest star Anthony Elanga, with Eddie Howe keen on upgrading his right-wing ranks ahead of next season's Champions League campaign.
The Magpies have yet to make any major signings so far this summer, despite a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League ensuring a place at Europe's top table next season - and although they've been linked with moves for the likes of Burnley starlet James Trafford, Crystal Palace's defensive stalwart Marc Guehi and more, their first major foray into the window has been for Elanga.
Ornstein: Newcastle Make £45million Bid for Anthony Elanga
The offer has been rejected out of hand by Forest
Anthony Elanga applauding the Nottingham Forest supporters
The report by David Ornstein on X (formerly Twitter) states that Newcastle have made an offer to sign the 'phenomenal' Elanga, with their bid being in the region of £45million.
It has been rejected by Forest this morning 'without a counter', as the Reds are thought to have no intention of selling their 'lightning-quick' star, having seen the former Manchester United star excel after his breakthrough season in the Premier League.
Newcastle will now consider whether to maintain their pursuit of the Swedish star, with other targets on their radar thought to include Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo and West Ham United's Mohammed Kudus to come into their ranks and challenge long-serving star Jacob Murphy for minutes next season.
The Magpies sold Paraguayan wideman Miguel Almiron in the winter transfer window, meaning that there is a vacancy on the flanks, and Elanga could be the ideal foil to upgrade on their former star.
Elanga featured in all of Forest's Premier League campaign, scoring six and providing an outstanding 11 assists as they finished in the Europa Conference League spots, an incredible return having signed from United in July 2023 for a fee of just £15million.
Harvey Barnes has been touted as a potential makeweight in a deal for Elanga in the past few days, and whether the Magpies use him to land their man remains to be seen, but Elanga's form and development means he's a top target for Howe to hurt teams on the counter-attack with his pace and guile.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 24-06-25.
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