Nottinghamshire

Colin Fray
BBC Radio Nottingham reporter

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Watching Anthony Elanga play is a lot of fun!

As they always, and quite rightly say "there's no substitute for pace", and if you have end product after the run, it is a dangerous combination.

That is why Newcastle want Elanga, and that is why Forest have been reluctant to part with him.

Ultimately, though, Forest will feel that they have a good deal financially, and for them it is about how they spend to replace the Sweden international. That is going to be crucial going forward for Nuno Espirito Santo's side, because Elanga was excellent for the Forest head coach.

When he was going through a lean spell, Nuno publicly backed him, and was proved right as Elanga bagged six goals and 11 assists last season – improving both from the previous campaign.

With Newcastle, he will have a Champions League campaign to look forward to, and Eddie Howe will be hoping he can provide the assists for compatriot Alexander Isak in the Magpies' forward line.

Always smiling, his bubbly enthusiasm is infectious, and he fitted perfectly into the Forest dressing-room spirit that took them so far last season.

It was fun talking to him, and it was fun watching him... and if you want to know how much fun, just have a look at his winning goal against Manchester United last season – a solo run from his own half, holding defenders off and then finding a finish.

Classic Anthony Elanga.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Nottingham Forest winger Ramon Sosa has joined Palmeiras for about £10m.

The 25-year-old only moved to the City Ground from Argentine side CA Talleres last summer.

Brazilian side Palmeiras were knocked out of the Club World Cup by Chelsea in the quarter finals at the weekend.

Sosa made 23 appearances for Nuno Espirito Santo's side, scoring three times, but started just once in the Premier League.

He leaves before fellow winger Anthony Elanga's expected £55m move to Newcastle, which could be completed this week.

Manchester United hold a 15% sell-on, although it is unclear if that is on the profit following Elanga's £13.5m move from Old Trafford two years ago or on the overall deal.

The 23-year-old appeared in all of Forest's Premier League games last season, scoring six goals, as they finished seventh.

Forest hold a long-term interest in PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko as they look for replacements.

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport Journalist

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Securing Ola Aina for another three years is more than just a routine piece of business. Since arriving at Forest, the former Chelsea academy graduate has quietly become a central figure in Nuno Espirito Santo's side, balancing defensive solidity with forward intent.

To understand how good he is, we delved into his numbers, using percentile rankings, which compare players across the Premier League within their positional group.

They essentially reveal how a player performs in a specific statistical category relative to their peers: the higher the percentile, the better the player ranks.

His aerials figure stands out immediately, hovering over the 90th percentile. What this metric means is that Aina is among the best in the Premier League when it comes to winning aerial duels, with very few full-backs outperforming him in this regard. This ability to dominate in the air adds an important dimension to Forest's defence.

He is excellent on the ground too, shown by his exceptional ball recovery, where he again ranks in one of the highest percentiles for Premier League full-backs. His ability to regain possession has greatly helped Forest's threat on the counter.

Aina also ranks well for clearances, featuring in the 75th percentile. This suggests he is adept at removing danger as well as making timely interventions. While shots blocked is not particularly high, it still represents his commitment to defending, a necessity for a team that, even while towards the top of the table, spends a lot of time without the ball.

Finally, Aina's athleticism in driving forward helps relieve pressure and build attacks with greater width, something that will be valuable against more tactically varied European opponents next season.

With continental competition returning to the City Ground for the first time in decades, locking down Aina helps Forest have continuity alongside their ambition. The numbers above suggest he is the kind of full-back essential to success in modern football.

Nottingham Forest are looking at Lyon winger Malick Fofana - as well as PSV Eindhoven's 22-year-old fellow Belgian Johan Bakayoko - as a potential replacement for Anthony Elanga. The 20-year-old is also linked with Chelsea and Bayern Munich. (Sky Sports), external

Manchester United are set to get £8m from the sell-on clause they negotiated when they sold Elanga to Forest in 2023. (Talksport, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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The BBC's search to find a new football expert is under way, with 12 content creators competing in Last Pundit Standing to win a role as BBC Sport's next football content creator.

The first two episodes of the show - co-hosted by former Watford captain Troy Deeney and YouTuber and football presenter James Allcott - are available to watch on iPlayer, as well as BBC Sport's YouTube channel and TikTok account, with new episodes every week until 11 August.

The contestants, who were chosen from more than 400 applicants, will be whittled down through a series of tasks staged at iconic football locations as the creators are challenged by some of the biggest names in the game.

Read more about the show here

Watch the first two episodes of Last Pundit Standing now on BBC iPlayer

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest did not want to sell Anthony Elanga, but every player has his price.

There was a desire to keep the winger at the City Ground this summer but with Newcastle prepared to pay £55m and meet Forest's asking price, the situation naturally changes.

Elanga did not push for a move, but a club record sale is ultimately too good to refuse.

They kept him from the Magpies last season, but this will be a £40m return after signing the Sweden international from Manchester United for about £15m just two years ago.

Former boss Steve Cooper was crucial to Elanga joining. He was poised to go to Everton, but Cooper convinced the youngster that the City Ground was the best option and that he would play and develop.

Boss Nuno Espirito Santo has previously spoken about the importance of keeping his squad together, one which eventually finished seventh in the Premier League to return the club to Europe for the first time since 1995-96.

Murillo, Chris Wood, Neco Williams and Ola Aina have signed new deals this year, along with Nuno himself, as Forest focused on building from a position of strength.

Yet winger Elanga is being allowed to leave despite being a crucial part of Forest's season and the way they play.

With Callum Hudson-Odoi, they carried a threat from the flanks and helped Wood score 20 goals last term, Elanga scoring six goals and making 11 assists.

Those were the third most assists in the Premier League last season, behind Mohamed Salah [18] and Newcastle's Jacob Murphy [12] - someone he could potentially be replacing at St James' Park.

Fellow winger Ramon Sosa is also being allowed to leave the City Ground. He is expected to join Palmeiras in Brazil, so Forest will be a little short in wide areas.

Johan Bakayoko is of long-term interest and scored 11 goals as PSV beat Ajax to the Eredivisie title on the final day, but expect Forest to be surgical with their signings as they look to bulk up to prepare for Europe.

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Trent Rockets have named David Willey and Ash Gardner as captain of their men's and women's teams respectively.

Former England all-rounder Willey, 35, replaces Lewis Gregory as captain for his first season at Trent Bridge.

Australia's Gardner takes over from England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt, who stepped down from the role to manage her workload.

Gardner, 28, joined the Rockets for her first taste of The Hundred last year, finishing as both the side's second-highest run-scorer and leading wicket-taker.

"Playing for the Rockets last year was so much fun and it will be incredible this year to lead the team," said Gardner.

"Taking over from Nat is an honour, and we have a great squad this year so I'm really excited to get going as captain."

Trent Rockets' first fixtures are against Birmingham Phoenix on 8 August. Both the men's and women's side finished fifth last season.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Anthony Elanga's prospective City Ground exit, with Nottingham Forest having agreed a £55m fee with Premier League rivals Newcastle for the winger.

Here are some of your comments:

Steve: The profit is great for the club, but he was an integral part of the way we played and will be a great miss. Hopefully, we can invest in some new talent and continue to play at the top of the Premier League and in Europe. It will be sad to see him go.

Simon: While it is sad he is going, Forest have made a great return on that investment. It is important now that they use that money wisely.

Clive: Disappointing, inevitable, it's football. Elanga has been a star for Forest, but that attracts the attention of other clubs. We have to trust the club has a plan to take the profit, replace him, and, if you look at how Brighton has used this model, move forward.

Pete: Not a great move at all. Forest rely so much on Elanga's pace, crosses and contribution. The £44m (once we pay Manchester United's 20% sell-on fees!) won't really enable us to buy a player who has what Elanga has.

Gavin: Gutted that he's going as he has provided so much to our team since his arrival. Hoping we can find a suitable and equal replacement. I'm sure Forest have a plan. Looking forward to the next man to step up.

Paul: It is a disaster. With Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi on the flanks, we always had a chance on the break. Whatever level you play at, defenders hate pace - and he was electric. Our bench was full of heart but not great in quality last season, so a replacement isn't coming from within. I hope we are able to replace him - it could be a long, hard season if we don't.