Eddie Howe 'delighted' after Newcastle United transfer decision for 22-goal striker

Forest striker Chris Wood heads into the match having scored eight goals in 10 games this season and fresh from winning the Premier League Player of the Month for October. The 32-year-old also scored a hat-trick on his return to St James’ Park last season after being sold by the club for £15million in the summer of 2023 following an initial loan deal.

Wood scored just four Premier League goals in 35 Premier League appearances for Newcastle but has since scored 22 goals in 41 games since making the permanent switch to Forest.

“Delighted for Chris on a personal level,” Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe said. “For me it was never lost how well he played for us, he did everything but score but his positive performances were so important in our effort to stay in the league, especially in that first season.

“The work he did, the unseen things that bring in other players and I think if you ask his teammates that season they'd say Chris Wood is one of the reasons we changed our position in the league. But he just didn't get the goals that elevated his performances or got the wider world seeing what a transformation he played in our team.

“He was very selfless and very team-orientated which is why he's getting the individual accolades that his goals are bringing him so I'm delighted for him personally. He's a great lad with a great attitude who had a really good time with us so I'm really pleased to see players go on to do well.”

Another player who has gone on to do well since leaving Newcastle for Forest is midfielder Elliot Anderson. The 22-year-old left Newcastle for £35million in the summer and has made a positive early impression at the City Ground.

But Howe stressed that the club didn’t want to sell Anderson but felt their hand was forced by Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules.

“I don't look at it as 'selling well',” Howe added. “Elliot was a sale we didn't want, no one at the club wanted to make that sale but we had to.

“That one is a very unusual thing in a very unusual place because I think that will be happening again not just here but at other clubs as well in terms of selling players for financial reasons. I don't think it's been done a lot in the history of the game unless you're under financial restrictions where you have to sell and of course that has happened many times before.

“But for a club that has financial backing that has to sell because of the rules, that's a new one. Chris' one was slightly different because we were thinking of Chris when we had Alex [Isak], Callum [Wilson] and Chris so three experienced strikers who would all want to play and start games.

“Chris felt that he wanted that opportunity to play week-in, week-out and we reluctantly agreed to that. I don't think there is any ill feeling, it was all with each other's blessing and you have to sell players and trade in the modern environment.”