Newcastle United attempted 'impossible' £35m deal as Magpies outcast makes free transfer move

Newcastle United have been accused of trying to ‘upset’ Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga after making a late enquiry for the Sweden international on transfer deadline day.

After what has been a challenging summer transfer window for the St James Park hierarchy, deadline day has been dominated by departures and they continued right up until the 11pm deadline after Magpies outcast Ryan Fraser completed a permanent move to Premier League rivals Southampton. The Scotland international spent last season on loan with the Saints and helped them earn promotion back into the top tier. Talks between the two clubs have been ongoing throughout the summer and the former Bournemouth man has now officially secured a return to the south coast after penning a two-year deal just 90 minutes before the deadline. Sky Sports revealed that move came after Fraser agreed to terminate his Magpies contract and moves back to Southampton as a free agent.

Young defender Harrison Ashby has departed on loan once again after joining Queens Park Rangers and academy product Joe White is on the verge of a season-long loan deal with League Two club MK Dons, where he will work under former Magpies centre-back Mike Williamson. Those moves came just a day after fellow United youngster Max Thompson and Jamie Miley both agreed loan moves to Chesterfield and Newport County respectively.

Speculation over possible incomings have revolved around the Magpies prolonged attempts to conclude a club record deal for Crystal Palace and England centre-back Marc Guehi - although any thoughts of a last-ditch move were swiftly brought to an end on Friday lunchtime when Eagles manager Oliver Glasner praised Palace chairman Steve Parish for ignoring the talk over the deal to ensure the former Chelsea man remained at the club.

Newcastle were surprisingly linked with a move to revisit interest in a former target midway through Friday afternoon when reports suggested they had made an enquiry for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga. The former Manchester United youngster was said to be a £35m target for the Magpies, with some reports stating the deal was ‘progressing swiftly’. However, those reports were quickly dismissed and Elanga has remained at the City Ground. Former Derby County and Hull City defender Curtis Davies believes Newcastle could revisit their interest in Elanga during the transfer window and suggested the Magpies tried to upset the winger in an attempt to make the deal come to fruition.

He told Sky Sports: “The fact that they are not going to get Guehi, they might have found that pocket of money that is available to actually go out and spend it. But I also think it could be a tactic to almost upset him a little bit.  They could revisit it in January because at this stage, a club like Nottingham Forest want to stay in this league, first and foremost.

“To take one of their most important players, probably their most important player alongside Gibbs-White for me, at this stage of the window, and, as we said, if they are not going to send them a player back as well, it’s impossible. £35million is good money, of course, but for Premier League clubs nowadays to lose one of your best players on deadline day for that, I think you would have to go probably £50million, £60million if you are going to try to get him out today.”