Nottingham Forest asked for Newcastle United star in swap deal for Anthony Elanga

Newcastle United have made a move for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga this summer.

The Magpies are leading the race to sign the former Manchester United player having made a bid in the region of £55 million.

Agreeing personal terms with the player may not be an issue and his arrival is going to solve a huge problem for Eddie Howe and his team.

The Magpies manager desperately need a wide attacking player in his squad and Elanga fits the profile of the player he is looking for.

He has shown his goal scoring and goal creation ability for Forest last season and his individual performances have caught the attention of clubs like Arsenal and Tottenham.

Newcastle United rejected Forest’s approach for Murphy

As part of their discussions with Newcastle, Nottingham Forest reportedly proposed a swap deal that would have seen Jacob Murphy move to the City Ground in exchange for Elanga.

However, according to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, Howe immediately vetoed the proposal due to his high regard for Murphy’s contribution to Newcastle’s squad.

“When Forest and Newcastle were talking about a potential deal for Elanga late in the winter window, my understanding is that Forest actually wanted to take [Jacob] Murphy in part exchange. Eddie Howe put a stop to that because he’s such a big fan of Murphy.”

Howe wants Murphy at Newcastle next season

Murphy, who has become a reliable option under Howe, is valued not only for his versatility across the front line and wing-back positions but also for his positive influence in the dressing room.

Newcastle’s refusal to part ways with Murphy highlights the club’s commitment to maintaining squad depth while ensuring the dressing room culture remains strong as they look to compete on multiple fronts next season.

Champions League football next season will put added pressure on Howe and his squad and he needs depth in his squad to deal with the fixture congestion.

It remains to be seen whether Newcastle will eventually sign Elanga, but if they do, it will not involve

How much Man Utd will earn from Anthony Elanga’s proposed move to Newcastle

As Newcastle edge closer to securing a big-money deal for Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga, hands will be rubbing together at Manchester United.

The Sweden international has been impressive since joining Forest from the Red Devils and was a big part of their surprisingly good campaign last time round.

There was interest from Newcastle last year and his excellent season has only cemented their opinion of him, with the Magpies making their move this summer.

A bid of £45m was rejected last week, but the Daily Mail report that an improved offer of around £55m has been made and a deal is close to being done.

The Athletic report that there is work still to do on the player’s side, but he Mail’s reporting states that personal terms are unlikely to be an issue.

Elanga certainly appears close to a move to St James’ Park and a crack at Champions League football with Newcastle next season.

Manchester United will not be playing Champions League football, but they will be making some money out of any Elanga transfer.

When Manchester United sold the 23-year-old to Forest in 2023 for £15m, they inserted a sell-on clause which will see the Red Devils owed a reported 15 per cent of any profit.

That would mean the Red Devils receiving 15 per cent of £40m, which clocks in at £6m.

While that is not going to buy them a player who will turn their fortunes around, it is certainly very handy as they look to come out on the right side of PSR calculations.

Elanga played in all 38 of Nottingham Forest’s Premier League games last season as they finished seventh in the top flight.

He scored six goals and provided an impressive 11 assists, up from five goals and nine assists in the previous campaign.

His 11 assists over last season was only bettered by Mo Salah (18) and Newcastle’s Jacob Murphy (12).