Newcastle United will not be signing Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest in a swap deal involving Harvey Barnes, according to reports.
According to The Athletic, Forest have knocked back a big-money approach for the Sweden international, just 24 hours after Chronicle Live reported that it could take a fee north of £60m to even open talks.
Newcastle are exploring wide options this summer and are known admirers of Elanga, who has enjoyed two excellent seasons at the City Ground following his move from Man Utd. But Forest see the 23-year-old as a core part of their squad and have no plans to cash in.
Sources close to the club have reiterated that no player considered vital to Nuno Espirito Santo’s plans will be sold unless a huge offer arrives, and even then, the Magpies are unlikely to find much encouragement from a direct rival.
Newcastle fans briefly got excited earlier this week after a holiday snap appeared to show Elanga in what they thought was a Toon shirt.
It turned out the mix-up came from his Padel partner wearing the Newcastle top, while Elanga himself was actually in a Bournemouth shirt, worn out of friendship with Cherries forward Antoine Semenyo.
Sven Botman, Will Osula, and Anthony Gordon, being among the players to respond to the social media post, only added more fuel to the fire. Despite that, officials at Forest were quick to suggest there was nothing in the post, dismissing it as a meaningless holiday snap.
Forest are not interested in negotiating and have also ruled out the idea of involving Harvey Barnes in a swap deal. Newcastle had floated the winger as a potential makeweight, but Forest are not entertaining the proposal.
Elanga’s form last season has caught the attention of several clubs. He scored six goals and provided 11 assists in the Premier League and was one of Forest’s most reliable performers in a historic campaign.
The rejected £45m bid shows Newcastle are willing to spend, but it also highlights the difficulty they’re facing.
Brighton have reportedly quoted them £60m for Joao Pedro, and it’s clear clubs are in no rush to offer discounts to one of the Premier League’s most ambitious projects.
Forest’s resistance shouldn’t come as a shock. They stood firm last summer too, despite early interest in Elanga, and their stance has only hardened now that their financial picture has improved.
For his part, Elanga is understood to be relaxed about the situation.
After a productive campaign and regular game time under Nuno, he’s not pushing for a move. And unless something significant changes, Forest have no plans to let him go.