£35m midfielder set for early Newcastle United reunion this month

Newcastle have been drawn away to Anderson’s Nottingham Forest in the second round of the Carabao Cup. The tie will be played the week commencing August 26.

The 21-year-old joined Forest from Newcastle earlier this summer for £35million. The sale made the midfielder The Magpies’ joint most expensive exit from the club alongside Andy Carroll to Liverpool in 2011.

Newcastle had to make up a significant shortfall by June 30 in order to satisfy the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules and avoid a points deduction heading into the 2024-25 campaign. Ultimately, the club raised the funds needed through the sales of Anderson to Forest and Yankuba Minteh to Brighton for £33million.

They were both reluctant sales from the club’s perspective but ones deemed necessary in order to avoid any sanctions from the Premier League heading into the 2024-25 campaign.

Geordie Journos at the Sela Weekender

Following his move to Forest, Anderson briefly returned to Newcastle to say his goodbyes to his former teammates. Now he is set to be coming up against them as one of his first competitive opponents for his new club.

Newcastle will travel to Forest in the Premier League on November 9 as things stand with Anderson’s side set to play at St James’ Park on February 22, 2025. But now Newcastle and Forest will meet in less than two weeks’ time in each club’s third competitive match of the 2024-25 campaign.

Newcastle reached the Carabao Cup final back in 2023 and looked on course to repeat the feat last season before conceding a stoppage-time equaliser and losing on penalties to Chelsea in the quarter-final.