Newcastle issues a £55 million offer to Premier League opponents, Magpie "struggle" to sign a winger

Anthony Elanga of Nottingham Forest competes with West Ham's Mohammed Kudus for the ball

According to Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle United have submitted a higher offer to Nottingham Forest for Anthony Elanga.

Last month, the Magpies made a £45 million offer but was rejected, with the Forest insisting that the winger would not be sold.

However, it has been reported that Nuno Espirito Santo's side will consider selling Ellanda for about £60 million, after the team had signed Ellanda from Manchester United in July 2023 for £12 million.

Last season, Ellanda made 38 appearances in the Premier League, scored 6 goals and had 11 assists, helping Forests finish seventh and qualify for the UEFA Cup.

Meanwhile, while the transfer window is starting with a frustrating start, Newcastle United will return to the Champions League and continue to be an attractive destination this summer.

So far, they have not been able to sign several key players, including Elanga, Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford and Joao Pedro, who has now joined Chelsea from Brighton.

It is not clear whether Newcastle will again make a higher offer to acquire Ellanda or will turn to other targets, but now their intentions are clear.

According to Romano, they have raised their offer by £10 million and submitted a new offer of £55 million on Thursday.

Romano wrote on X: "Newcastle United issued a £55 million offer to Nottingham Forest today, hoping to bring in Anthony Ellanda. Negotiations are currently in place with #NUFC to strive to complete as soon as possible."

Elanga left Manchester United two years ago and in an interview with The Athletic in December, he said he was happy to leave Manchester United and look for more stable football opportunities.

"I made the right decision, 100%", the Swedish international said.

"I didn't really talk about this, but at Manchester United, I was still young and the team I joined was in a difficult situation.

Yes, I did think ‘I'm playing for Manchester United.' But I never felt like I had any improvement. When I got some chances to come out of the bench, I just played for the sake of playing.

"It meant a lot to me because I suddenly could play 90 minutes of games often and also had the opportunity to improve myself.

"When I play football, I feel like I have a goal; I feel like I keep improving in the process of playing football. This is the biggest change for me."

"I feel that I know the league now because I have the opportunity to learn.

"I don't regret it because I enjoy playing great football with this team. We are in very good shape now. ”