Newcastle have made an improved £55million offer for Anthony Elanga and are on the verge of agreeing a deal with Nottingham Forest.
The Magpies saw a package of £45m rejected last week but we understand there has now been significant progress in negotiations.
Personal terms are not thought to be an issue, although there could yet be interest from elsewhere. Aston Villa are said to be monitoring the situation.
Elanga, 23, has been a long-term target of Eddie Howe and there was a failed approach to sign him last summer.
The Newcastle boss is an admirer of the right-winger’s pace and output – he scored six and assisted 11 in the Premier League last season – but he also sees scope for big improvement in the Sweden international. If the deal does go through, Elanga would become Newcastle’s first signing of the summer.
His former club Manchester United are also owed an estimated 15 per cent of profit from any sale. He joined Forest for £15m in 2023 and has scored 11 times from 82 appearances.
Newcastle have made an improved offer of £55m for Nottingham Forest star Anthony Elanga
They had an initial bid of £45m rejected but are determined to land the right winger
Eddie Howe is an admirer of Elanga’s pace and output, but also sees room for improvement
Forest would be reluctant to see Elanga go after he contributed six goals and 12 assists to their brilliant season.
The fact that he has three years left on his contract means that Evangelos Marinakis’ club are able to command a significant fee for him.
Elanga began his Premier League career with Manchester United before Forest took him off their hands for around £15m in the summer of 2023.
Mail Sport were the first to break the news of Newcastle’s enquiry about him last month, a year on after having an approach rejected.
Elanga can play across the front three and brings gazelle-like speed to his play. Last season, he racked up 85 metres in nine seconds in a sizzling counter-attack to score a winner against his old employers Manchester United.
He had shown promise at Old Trafford after coming through United’s academy but fell out of favour under Erik ten Hag.
‘It wasn’t easy to leave United because I had been there for nine years from academy to first team,’ he exclusively told Mail Sport in 2023.
‘But at the end of the day I have to think about myself and would I want to stay another year coming in and out from the bench or be a starter at a team on the rise, improving and getting better.’
Sweden international Elanga still has three years left on his deal at the City Ground
He has been a player revitalised at Forest and will have the joy of Europa Conference League football if he sticks with them this campaign.
If he twists, though, he would have the privilege of Champions League football after Toon qualified for the second time in three seasons.
He would become their second summer signing after they snapped up 18-year-old Spanish winger Antonito Cordero on a free transfer from Malaga.
Cordero has joined on a five-year deal but Toon are looking for a suitable loan destination for his first season.
Newcastle get their pre-season underway against Celtic on July 19 and kickstart their Premier League campaign with a trip to Aston Villa on August 16.
