Nottingham Forest considering shock move for £17m Anthony Elanga replacement Newcastle United wanted to sign

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Nottingham Forest are reportedly looking to sign a player previously linked with a move to Newcastle United as their replacement for Anthony Elanga.

After the news that a fresh bid of £55million was placed for Anthony Elanga, things have gone fairly quiet.

It could be a case that Newcastle United are still in negotiations with Forest for Elanga, or that they have put the deal on the back burner for the time being to focus on other players.

A recent report claimed that Newcastle are spending the weekend speaking with Atalanta for Giorgio Scalvini. The defender is the Magpies’ top target this summer, with Eddie Howe very eager to add more youth to his starting XI.

Fans will be hoping that Elanga is a Newcastle player ahead of pre-season. It is just a case of ironing out the add-ons and bonuses with Forest before that can go through.

With Newcastle advancing in their efforts to sign Elanga, Forest have identified a player who was heavily linked with a move to Tyneside during the January transfer window.

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Nottingham Forest targeting Johan Bakayoko as Anthony Elanga replacement

It was revealed that Newcastle held private talks with Forest for Elanga in January, where the sellers asked for Jacob Murphy in return. Howe quickly put a stop to that deal as he did not want to lose a player in the best form of his career.

In January, Newcastle were heavily linked with PSV winger Johan Bakayoko. The 22-year-old enjoyed a great season in the Eredivisie, scoring nine goals to help PSV win the league title on the final day of the season.

While he started the campaign off well, Bakayoko’s form dipped in the final few months and caused him to lose his place in the starting XI. Despite that, there is still a lot of interest in him this summer.

According to The Guardian, Forest will make Bakayoko their prominent target if Elanga leaves for Newcastle. The report states that he is also being tracked by Borussia Dortmund, who recently sold Jamie Gittens to Chelsea.

The feeling is that Bakayoko will only cost around £17m this summer due to his drop in form, so Forest will certainly be getting a good deal if they end up signing him.

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Newcastle fans think they will have the fastest attack in the Premier League if Elanga signs. It is hard to disagree with them when you see the sheer pace that he, Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak possess.

From Forest’s perspective, they will be getting a great deal if they sign Bakayoko – they are almost a like-for-like replacement.

Both players have exceptional dribbling ability and an eye for goal. The only major difference between the two is the assist numbers. Bakayoko appears to be a player who wants to find the back of the net himself, while Elanga is happy to share the goals with his teammates.

The pair also have the benefit of Champions League experience. Elanga will give the Magpies more quality in the competition, while Bakayoko can help Forest push on from their Conference League qualification and push higher up the Premier League table.