£40m winger confirms Newcastle United interest amid Isak 'chemistry' claims

Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga has opened up on Newcastle United’s interest in him - but stressed he is happy at Nottingham Forest and is focused on life at the City Ground.

The former Manchester United star is believed to be a long-term target of the Magpies and there were reports suggesting they were preparing an offer for the Sweden international during the January transfer window. That interest remained alive throughout the summer - although it was not until the final hours of the window when United belatedly approached their Premier League rivals over a possible deadline-beating deal.

Reports suggested Forest rejected an initial approach before proposing a part-exchange deal that would have seen Magpies winger Miguel Almiron moving to the City Ground. However, an agreement could not be found and Elanga remained a Forest player when he joined United striker Alexander Isak on international duty with Sweden last week. The 22-year-old featured along Isak as the Magpies star scored three goals in Nations League wins against Azerbaijan and Estonia in recent days to take his Sweden tally to 14 goals in 48 senior appearances.

Elanga revealed he has ‘a good relationship and good chemistry’ with Isak but is unlikely to be joining the former Borussia Dortmund and Real Sociedad striker at St James Park over the coming months.

He told Swedish outlet Fotbol Skanalen: “The environment in Nottingham is good. It is clear that you can see that Newcastle are interested, it means that I am playing good football when a big club shows interest. But Nottingham is also a big club, they have won two Champions Leagues, even though it was before I was born. But I’m happy in Nottingham and have a contract there. I’m focusing on Nottingham and hope to have a good season, then we’ll see what happens. Isak talked to me about it. But I said the same to him as I say to you. We have a good relationship and good chemistry when we play together. But I have a contract with Nottingham.”