Newcastle United set for reunion with ‘on fire’ £50m Nottingham Forest duo after ‘disappointing’ sale

The Magpies will come up against Chris Wood and Elliot Anderson when they face Nottingham Forest on Sunday. The in-form duo have played a major role in helping Forest to third place in the Premier League and will be keen to prove themselves against their former employers.

And Newcastle United have first hand experience at the dangers Wood can pose after the New Zealand international netted a hat-trick against them during their Boxing Day defeat at St James’ Park last year. Wood has scored on his last four outings for Forest and has already scored more goals this campaign than he managed during his one year on Tyneside.

Anderson, meanwhile, has impressed under Nuno Espirito Santo and Dan Burn has revealed he is delighted to see the pair succeeding at the City Ground.

Asked about Wood’s form and coming up against Anderson at the weekend, Burn said: “I’m really, really happy for him. Woody first and foremost is a great person, he was a great teammate when he was here so I think it’s great that he’s finally getting the recognition that he deserves. He got a hat-trick the last time so hopefully we will be better than that [day]. 

“But you want to test yourselves against the best players in the league at the time and Woody’s on fire and is going to be hard to control so it’s a big challenge for us.”

“Elliot, I’m really happy for him as well. The way he has performed at Forest when we played them [in the Carabao Cup] I thought he was brilliant, so really happy for him.”

The decision to sell Anderson to Forest was one taken reluctantly by Newcastle United with the threat of a potential points deduction for failing the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules hanging over them. Along with Yankuba Minteh who was sold to Brighton for £33m, Anderson’s sale raised £35m and allowed the Magpies to ensure they complied with PSR.

Seeing an academy graduate leave the club was a bitter pill to swallow for many and as Burn told the Gazette, it was one that disappointed the squad:  “That’s the rules so it was obviously disappointing from a team point of view to lose him,” Burn said. 

“I don’t think anyone wanted to see him go and it’s obviously disappointing to lose another Geordie as well but I’m very happy for him. In hindsight it’s probably helped him, we had a lot of competition in the position that he wanted to play and he’s been able to have more gametime at Forest and I think he’s proven why he’s been such a good player.”

A win for Newcastle United on Sunday would be their second of the season against Forest at the City Ground following their Carabao Cup triumph back in August. Defeat on Sunday, however, would leave them seven points behind them in the Premier League table.