Nottingham Forest have now made an approach to sign an “unstoppable” forward, who is set to be available for a fee of £39m this summer, according to reports.
Nottingham Forest eyeing replacement for Elanga
Anthony Elanga is set to sign for Newcastle United in a £55m deal, meaning Edu Gaspar’s first task as Global Head of Football will be to find a replacement for the winger, although it may not be a quick process.
Speaking about the way in which he goes about making new additions to the Forest squad, Edu said: “You can’t just sign for the sake of signing. It has to be a process that takes weeks and weeks. Right there on my desk, I have reports with over 180 pages on a player. It’s really detailed.
“Physical, technical, and mental profiles, whether they have Premier League experience, whether they’ll be able to adapt. It’s all there. We analyse our weaknesses, where we can improve, where we can invest, and then we go looking for that new name.”
Seemingly PSV Eindhoven’s Johan Bakayoko ticks a lot of boxes for Edu, as Forest have now entered talks over a deal for the winger, who is viewed as a direct replacement for Elanga.
However, the 22-year-old is not the only option on the shortlist, with the Tricky Trees also making an approach to sign Benfica winger Kerem Akturkoglu, according to an update from reporter Kutlu Akpinar on X.
Forest were the “first” team to make contact over a deal for the forward, and they were told that €45m (£39m) would be enough to get a deal done, although there could be competition for his signature.
The Turk has made it clear that the only team he wants to play for in his home country is Galatasaray, but there could be rival interest from within the Premier League, as Sunderland and Everton are also named as potential suitors.
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Nottingham Forest join race to sign “fantastic” £50m+ Elanga replacement
Newcastle are still pushing to sign Elanga.
“Unstoppable” Akturkoglu could be fantastic signing for Forest
Once lauded as “unstoppable” by U23 football scout Antonio Mango, the Benfica star was a regular source of goals and assists last season, picking up 22 goal contributions in the Liga Portugal alone.
With Forest set to embark on a European adventure, Nuno Espirito Santo will also be keen to bring in players with experience in the biggest competitions, and the 26-year-old also caught the eye in the 2024-25 Champions League, netting four goals.
Considering the former Galatasaray man has predominantly featured at left-wing throughout his career to date, it is unclear whether he would be viewed as a direct replacement for Elanga, but he could be a fantastic addition to the squad nonetheless.
Not only that, but Forest should be in a strong position to beat Sunderland and Everton to Akturkoglu’s signature, given that European football will be on offer at the City Ground next season.
