Anthony Elanga did not downplay reports linking him with a Newcastle United move this summer.
Anthony Elanga has insisted he will shut out the noise and stay focused amid Newcastle United transfer speculation.
Toon chiefs tried to nab the Nottingham Forest winger with a dramatic £35million deadline-day swoop last year. With little time left in the window, the Tricky Trees rejected the offer and Newcastle’s frustrating summer was complete.
Fast forward to the present and Elanga is riding the crest of a wave following a stellar campaign at the City Ground. An impressive 17 goal contributions kept Forest in a surprise race for Champions League football before falling at the final hurdle.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men secured Conference League qualification but Newcastle know they can dangle the carrot of a seat at UEFA’s top table. The Daily Mail reported on Friday that the Magpies have enquired about Elanga’s availability.
Nottingham Forest’s huge price tag
Eddie Howe is a long-term admirer and Forest would be open to offers if he chooses to leave. But given his impressive season and contract until 2028, the Tricky Trees could drive a hard bargain.
Newcastle would need to up the stakes to around £50million to get the ball rolling. That would put a sizable dent in United’s budget, with a goalkeeper and centre-back also targeted.
Anthony Elanga asked about Newcastle United
Elanga stayed coy about his future when grilled by Swedish media after a 2-0 win over Hungary last night. He said: “There is a lot of talk. I focus on what I can do and my focus today was on the match. In football there are always rumours. The most important thing is that I focus on what I can control.
“I guess there will always be scouts wherever I play as long as I stay focused and do my best in the match. I just keep my focus and what I can control. That’s what I can do on and off the field. I focus on the next day and action. That’s what I can do. He must have tried to call me about the match, that I should have scored.”
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‘Speed is key’ - Eddie Howe
It is no secret that Howe was Newcastle to get moving in the transfer market early. He told reporters last month: "Speed is key for us and I have reiterated that many times internally. Speed is key because we have to be dynamic, we have to be ready to conclude things very quickly because good players don’t hang around for long.
“That’s always been my thought and my message on recruitment, because you can have a period when you think you have time - but then you look around quickly & you see that time has elapsed and you missed opportunities you won’t get again.
“That’s what we will be trying, but the reality of that is it’s not always in your hands - but we will do our best to do things early. The power of the Champions League is huge. It’s a selling point for us now, it’s an opportunity to sell that dream to future players that might be considering coming to us."
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