Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce has handed Nottingham Forest a potential transfer blow in their quest to sign winger Jacob Murphy.
The winger was a target for Forest earlier this month (Team Talk) but it seems as though any notion of him heading out on loan has been quashed.
Murphy scored Newcastle’s third goal in last night’s 7-0 demolition of Morecambe in the Carabao Cup.
Afterwards, Bruce made the admission that the 25-year-old will be part of the first-team squad this season and won’t be heading out on loan.
Rangers, Derby County, Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday had all been keen to sign the flyer on loan.
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He enjoyed a stunning campaign with Wednesday during 2019/20, scoring nine goals and registering six assists from 44 games.
Earlier this week Sabri Lamouchi confirmed that a winger was the final piece of his summer jigsaw and that road might have led to Murphy.
That particular link looks as though it will be put to bed now, however, with Forest set to revert back to the drawing board in their quest for a wide option.
Muphy is quick, can play on either flank and chips in with goals and assists, making it easy to see why Forest wanted him.
Of course what Bruce says and what he does might be two different things.
With Newcastle having already spent big on Jamal Lewis and Callum Wilson though, he could be certain about his decision over Murphy.
That leaves the Reds with a decision to make once again.
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Of course, signing the £25k-a-week (Spotrac) Murphy would have been ideal but it’s not really one that will define their season.
The Reds have Alex Mighten coming through the ranks and he is looking better with each game he plays.
Forest have added lots of new players to their squad this summer and they should be panicked into signing a winger.
The search should be meticulous and if they weren’t to get one before the window shuts, Lamouchi might just have to continue nurturing Mighten further.