Whilst they are yet to officially get their summer business underway, Nottingham Forest have reportedly set their sights on several rising talents and that includes a young Bundesliga left-back.
Nottingham Forest reject Elanga bid
As those at the City Ground push to welcome the likes of Timothy Weah and Samuel Mbangula, they also face a fight to keep hold of Anthony Elanga amid interest from Newcastle United. The Magpies reportedly formalised their interest with a bid worth £45m earlier this week only for Nottingham Forest to reject that bid without any counter as they look to keep hold of a key player.
Whether Newcastle return to the negotiation table remains to be seen, but Forest's stance may not change anytime soon. The Tricky Trees will be desperate to enjoy a repeat of last season, if not better, when August arrives and keeping hold of players like Elanga will play a large part in matching those ambitions.
Given that Botafogo duo Jair Cunha and Igor Jesus are also reportedly on their way, it's clear that Evangelos Marinakis is only in pursuit of boosting Nuno Espirito Santo's attacking options rather than selling key men for profit.
anthony-elanga (2) Related
Dream Elanga replacement: Nottingham Forest open talks to sign £12m winger
Nottingham Forest may lose Elanga this summer.
One player that the Greek owner will need to replace, however, is Harry Toffolo. The experienced left-back is now a free agent following the expiration of his contract at the City Ground and Forest would be wise to find a replacement.
To that end, it looks as though those in the Midlands have set their sights on young options who could challenge the likes of Neco Williams for years to come and that may see one particular Bundesliga talent arrive.
Nottingham Forest join Ullrich race
According to The Boot Room's Graeme Bailey, Nottingham Forest have now joined the race to sign Lukas Ullrich from Borussia Monchengladbach this summer. The 21-year-old enjoyed a breakout campaign in the Bundesliga last time out and has since played his part in helping Germany reach the semi-final of the U21 Euros.
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The Gladbach man particularly impressed against Elliot Anderson's England side in the group stage, providing an excellent assist as Germany ran out 2-1 winners.
Anderson received a first-hand glimpse of the type of quality that he could benefit from next season if Nottingham Forest push on with their move to sign Ullrich.
It won't be an easy race to win, however, given that they are joined by Premier League rivals Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton in pursuit of the Bundesliga talent.
Gladbach, meanwhile, may not be keen to lose their defender who manager Geraldo Seoane has not been shy to praise. The manager told reporters when asked about Ullrich: "You can see that he's got pace going forward and that he has a very good mentality. He's confident, he's active and he makes runs in behind. He brings a lot to the table playing as an attacking left-back."