Newcastle United tabled an offer of £45 million for Nottingham Forest forward Anthony Elanga this morning, according to The Athletic journalist David Ornstein.
However, the City Ground club immediately rejected it, and it is unclear whether Newcastle will return with another bid.
Newcastle want to strengthen the right side of their attack and are keen on signing Elanga, but they also have Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus on their radar.
Elanga weighed in with six goals and 11 assists in 38 league appearances for Forest last term, and he would be a useful acquisition for the Magpies.
The 23-year-old is a long-term target for Newcastle, and they were willing to pay a fee worth around £45m to acquire his services last summer.
They offered an initial £30m payment, a swap deal for their former winger Miguel Almiron and two potential further payments of £5m, but their bid was rejected.
Newcastle need quality depth in attack after qualifying for the Champions League, but Forest have no intention of selling the winger.
The Magpies are hoping to strengthen their squad this summer, but are unlikely to increase their bid for Elanga as they strive to comply with the Premier League’s financial rules.
Manager Eddie Howe will be looking at other options capable of improving his attack if Forest refuse to do business for Elanga.
