Newcastle United struck a £55m deal for Anthony Elanga before Spurs triggered Morgan Gibbs-White's release clause at Nottingham Forest
Dan Burn comes up against Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White during Newcastle United's game against Nottingham Forest in 2024
Dan Burn comes up against Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White during Newcastle United's game against Nottingham Forest in 2024
Newcastle United look to have avoided an added complication by agreeing a deal with Nottingham Forest for Anthony Elanga - just days before Spurs triggered Morgan Gibbs-White's release clause.
Newcastle are set to unveil Elanga as the club's first major signing in nearly two years after the Sweden international finalised his £55m move to St James' Park.
Newcastle, in the process, have secured a long-term target of Eddie Howe's while Nottingham Forest have made a substantial profit on a player who cost just £15m two years ago.
Nottingham Forest were not exactly willing sellers - turning down Newcastle's initial bid worth £45m for Elanga last month - but the Reds would have been entitled to really dig their heels in had Newcastle not struck a deal before Spurs activated Gibbs-White's £60m release clause on Thursday.
Nottingham Forest will bank £115m from the deals, but Nuno's side are facing up to the prospect of having to replace a couple of key players just five weeks before the start of the new campaign.
Spurs, meanwhile, have spent that exact sum on Gibbs-White and fellow new arrival Mohammed Kudus this week.
It is a reminder of Spurs' spending power as the Londoners look to bounce back under new boss Thomas Frank after finishing a whopping 28 points behind Newcastle in the league last season.
Spurs, like Newcastle, will benefit from qualifying for the Champions League, after winning the Europa League, but the Londoners' off-field revenues significantly supplement football income.
In the club's most recently published set of accounts, from 2023-24, Spurs generated £105.8m in match receipts despite not playing in Europe at the time.
Although there are obvious caveats, when comparing Newcastle's match day income to sides in the capital, Spurs brought in more than double what the Magpies did (£50.1m).
Third-party events, visitor attractions and conference and events also helped contribute to an additional £255.2m in commercial revenue.
No wonder Newcastle chief operating officer Brad Miller has stressed the Magpies' chosen stadium scheme must 'deliver strong revenue growth to increase our PSR headroom' as the wait for an announcement goes on.
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