Newcastle United saw their bid for Nottingham Forest star Anthony Elanga rejected earlier this week, putting more pressure on Eddie Howe to find a new right winger.
The Magpies are eager to add to their squad this summer after winning silverware and qualifying for the Champions League.
Newcastle United are expected to be busy in the summer transfer window after receiving a generous kitty from the PIF. It is believed that Newcastle have around £150m to spend this summer and will begin spending after the PSR deadline on June 30.
As it stands, Newcastle’s first-team squad is loaded with quality, but strength in depth is an issue that Eddie Howe wants to fix this summer. Anthony Elanga is high on Newcastle’s list of targets, but they were dealt a setback when a £45m bid was rejected for him on Tuesday.
Nottingham Forest are adamant that he is not for sale, but Newcastle are going to make a second bid for Elanga to see if they can tempt him to join and link up with international teammate Alexander Isak.
With Newcastle also considering alternatives to Elanga, they have just been given a golden opportunity to sign an alternative for a bargain price after a shocking new development.
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Malick Fofana should be available for Newcastle United after Lyon’s relegation to Ligue 2
The French football world was shocked on Tuesday when it was announced that Lyon had been relegated to Ligue 2.
Their relegation has come as a surprise for many, especially after finishing sixth in the 2024/25 Ligue 1 campaign. The French giants have suffered relegation after amassing around £500m worth of debt.
Lyon need to pick up the pieces, and that could mean selling some of their prized assets this summer to get themselves out of their financial black hole. That means that winger Malick Fofana should be available this summer.
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Reports earlier in June stated that Newcastle are interested in Fofana after his promising season with Lyon, registering nine goal involvements in 29 appearances. At just 20 years old, he has proven that he can compete in one of Europe’s top five leagues and could be a big part of Howe’s plans going forward.
Originally valued at around £43m, Newcastle now have the opportunity to sign Fofana for a cut-price deal after Lyon’s relegation, a fee that would be significantly less than what they could pay for Elanga.
Malick Fofana’s statistics compared to Anthony Elanga as Newcastle United eye a right-winger
Fofana is not the only player Newcastle could target from Lyon this summer. Several quality players will be expected to leave after their relegation.
Newcastle boss Howe wants to improve many positions in his squad this summer, so he could look to Lyon to sign the likes of centre-back Moussa Niakhate or striker Georges Mikautadze for much less than they are valued at.
| 2024/25 League Statistics | Malick Fofana | Anthony Elanga |
| Appearances | 29 | 38 |
| Minutes | 1,586 | 2,510 |
| Goals | 5 | 6 |
| Assists | 4 | 11 |
Whether it is Fofana or Elanga that signs, Newcastle fans will be confident that Howe can get the best out of them and use their experience to his advantage. Fofana is slightly younger and less experienced than Elanga, but he would still likely be in contention for a place in Newcastle’s starting XI at the beginning of the 2025/26 campaign.
With a big summer in the pipeline, Newcastle fans could see Howe’s recruitment team raid Lyon to spend a fraction of what they were expected to on their original list of summer targets.
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