Newcastle flop Anthony Elanga told he's 'not the same sort of person' since £55m transfer as Nottingham Forest are urged to re-sign winger

Forest were able to preserve their top-flight standing across two seasons, on the back of promotion in 2022, before kicking on into the top seven and European qualification last term. Home-grown star Brennan Johnson helped them down that path, before passing the baton on to Elanga.

The Sweden international headed to Trentside in 2023 when severing ties with Manchester United. He registered 11 goals and 20 assists for Forest across a couple of campaigns, bringing him to the attention of big-spending outfits that were waiting to see if full potential could be unlocked in a mercurial talent.

Newcastle took the plunge after returning to Champions League competition, but have seen Elanga struggle for consistency in the North East. He is yet to convince a passionate fan base of his worth and may be allowed to move on in 2026 if the right offer is presented.

Forest could be in that market - with Elliot Anderson seeing a return to his Tyneside roots mooted - and they are crying out for the injection of pace that Johnson and Elanga once offered.

Quizzed on whether the Reds could be in for either of those jet-heeled forwards, with Johnson not enjoying the best of times since leaving Tottenham for Crystal Palace, Harewood - speaking in association with Non Gamstop Casinos - told GOAL: “It's a great shout. I wouldn't turn it down. It's familiarity isn't it? I bet when they come back they won't feel out of place because they'll know where they've been and how they've got to where they've gone. And they'll just come back and do the exact same thing as what they've been up to. So it's a nice thing to think about because that's where they've got their moves from. Obviously for some reason, whatever reason there is, they haven't hit the ground running wherever they've gone. 

“Obviously you're talking about Elanga going to Newcastle. He has struggled. But in the sense of what we know he's capable of, he's probably been playing alright, playing good. But not to the standard that he's been playing for Forest, because he looked sharp when he was playing for Forest. Every time he went forward it looked like he was going to score a goal and he was an absolute threat. And I don't know, with respect to the Newcastle manager or Newcastle, he just doesn't seem the same sort of person that he was at Forest.”

While plenty of Forest supporters would like to see Johnson or Elanga back at the City Ground, having previously witnessed what they are capable of, summer transfer plans are in no position to be finalised just yet.

The Reds are still precariously perched just above the Premier League relegation zone, with a crucial clash at fellow basement dwellers Tottenham set to be taken in on Sunday. If a course to safety can be steered, then questions can begin to be asked of whether reunions with a couple of former fan favourites should be explored.