Newcastle on brink of £55m deal for Premier League star after giving up on Bryan Mbeumo and missing out on Joao Pedro to Chelsea

Elanga was a key figure for Nottingham Forest throughout the 2024–25 Premier League season, starting all 38 league fixtures. His impressive contributions included six goals and 11 assists, playing a pivotal role in guiding the Midlands club to a seventh-place finish, their highest in decades, which earned them a spot in the Conference League for the first time in 30 years.

According to Fabrizio Romano, their latest offer follows a previous bid from Newcastle, reportedly worth around £45m ($61.45m), which was swiftly turned down by Forest last summer. That earlier proposal included a structured package consisting of an initial £30m ($41m) payment, a proposed player swap involving Miguel Almiron, valued at £5m ($7m), and two additional conditional payments of £5m each. Newcastle are now said to be on the verge of landing Elanga, according to the Daily Mail.

Forest have made their stance clear: they are not actively looking to sell Elanga. However, insiders suggest that the club would consider a sale if the final valuation of the deal crosses the £60m ($82m) threshold. Although Forest are willing to accept an initial payment of £55m ($75m), they want the total financial structure of the offer, including add-ons, to exceed their asking price before sanctioning a move.

Manchester United, Elanga’s former club, have a 20 per cent sell-on clause in place, meaning a portion of the transfer fee will be redirected to Old Trafford if a deal materialises.

Should Aston Villa beat Newcastle to Elanga’s signature, it would mark another setback in a window that’s proving difficult for the Carabao Cup holders. Earlier, Newcastle were heavily linked with Brighton striker Joao Pedro, only to see Chelsea swoop in and hijack the deal at the eleventh hour. The club also cooled interest in Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, as he now appears to be heading toward United, who are reportedly leading the race to land the 25-year-old striker. With multiple suitors circling and the market heating up, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining Elanga’s future in English football.