Newcastle representatives in the Midlands to secure signing with deal 'still alive'

An update has arrived on Newcastle United's pursuit of Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga.

Last Friday, a Craig Hope exclusive for The Mail revealed that the club had reignite their interest in the 23-year-old, making contact with Forest over a deal we tried and failed to pull off on deadline day last August.

Today, Hope has returned with the latest on our pursuit of the Swedish international, insisting the deal is 'still alive' in a post on X.

He also reveals that Newcastle have sent representatives to Nottingham this week, suggesting we are stepping up our attempts to negotiate a deal with the Reds.

Hope has previously reported that it will take upwards of £50m to land the former Man Utd talent, while The Telegraph's Luke Edwards stated today that Newcastle now know Forest's asking price for Elanga, but did not name a specific fee.

It's believed Eddie Howe wants 'the bulk' of Newcastle's summer business to be completed in time for pre-season training, which kicks off in early July.

However, as Hope reports, 'progress has been slow' up to this point, with uncertainty around replacements for outgoing CEO Darren Eales and sporting director Paul Mitchell not helping matters.

As for James Trafford, the same piece states that Newcastle are 'not close' to striking a deal for the Burnley stopper at present, with the Clarets' £40m asking price currently a sticking point.