Newcastle had £50m bid rejected on transfer deadline day as things got desperate

Newcastle United tried to salvage their transfer window on deadline day after being taken for a ride by Crystal Palace.

Steve Parish and Crystal Palace strung Newcastle along for a month with negotiations for England centre-back Marc Guehi when it sounded like Parish had zero intention of letting the 24-year-old leave the club.

Earlier in the summer Newcastle had offered the sporting director job to Palace’s director of football Dougie Freedman, and this seemed like Parish’s way of getting back at Newcastle for unsettling their top man.

With just hours of the window remaining after that deal officially collapsed, Newcastle made a move for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga.

Biggest statement of #NFFC window: holding firm when Newcastle came for Anthony Elanga.

Not easy. Proposed deal (including Almiron) was worth around £45-50m.

For Forest, that was a potential club-record sale. Says a lot that owner Evangelos Marinakis strong enough to say no.

— Daniel Taylor (@DTathletic) August 31, 2024

Newcastle’s proposal for Anthony Elanga was closer to £50m

Sky Sports News at the time reported that Newcastle had made a £35 million bid but Forest tried to include a player for exchange and the deal collapsed.

Now, though, The Athletic’s Daniel Taylor has shared an alternative take on what went on via X.