The genius £50m Newcastle United and Leeds swap deal that would boost both sides

The Uniteds of Newcastle and Leeds are heading into a weekend that could play an integral rule in their summer recruitment plans.

For the Magpies, all eyes are on the FA Cup Final as Eddie Howe’s men know they will claim a place in the Europa Conference League if Manchester City see off local rivals Manchester United under the Wembley arch for a second consecutive year. Although UEFA’s tertiary cup competition may not have the glamour and riches of the Champions League, it will at least give the St. James’ Park hierarchy some clout when it comes to how they function in what feels like yet another potentially pivotal summer in the transfer market.

Newcastle’s battles with UEFA’s financial fair play rules and the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations have been well versed in recent months and they will continue to play a role in how the Magpies shape their squad over the coming years. There has been some suggestions stalwarts such as Matt Ritchie and Paul Dummett could well be handed short-term deals to help Howe cope with an increased fixture schedule.

But there are some bigger calls to make for Howe and the Magpies owners as one academy graduate heads into a pivotal point in his career with his boyhood club. Almost six years after breaking into the United first-team setup, Sean Longstaff will head into the final 12 months of his current contract at St. James’ Park this summer and a major decision over his long-term future will have to be made. A summer sale would stave off the threat of losing an academy graduate for nothing next summer and, as an added bonus, would also represent ‘pure profit’ on the balance sheet for the Magpies.

The centre of midfield is also a position where Howe has strength in depth with Sandro Tonali’s return from a long-term ban meaning he will go into competition with Joelinton, Lewis Miley, Joe Willock, Elliot Anderson and Bruno Guimaraes for a place in the starting eleven.

Intriguingly, Longstaff is reportedly one target under consideration at Leeds should they be successful in gaining an immediate return to the Premier League and that is why the Whites, much like Newcastle, are also preparing for a pivotal weekend. Daniel Farke’s side will meet Southampton in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Sunday, with the winners claiming a sizeable pot of money and a return to the top tier as the losers contemplate a summer of possible departures to fill a financial hole.

There have been some reports suggesting Leeds will have to conduct a fire sale if they come out on the wrong end of the result on Sunday and the Daily Mail have suggested they will need to raise around £100m in player sales if that scenario plays out.

Fortunately, if such a word can be used in this instance, Leeds do have a number of attractive assets that could be sold to make up some of the shortfall and the likes of Illan Meslier, Archie Gray, Georginio Rutter, Wilfried Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville all likely to attract interest from clubs in English football’s top tier and around Europe. It is the latter of that quintet that is already the subject of intense speculation as the former Dutch Under-21 international is reportedly on the wish list of Liverpool, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Newcastle ahead of the summer transfer window - although a Leeds win at Wembley would increase their chances of retaining the services of their prize asset.

However, with Newcastle’s desire to increase their quality in wide positions and Longstaff’s current contract situation, could a perfect storm be brewing with the Magpies midfielder heading to Elland Road and Summerville moving in the opposite direction. Such things are easier said than done and given the reported £20m price tag on Longstaff’s head, it is highly likely Newcastle would have to pay an additional fee for the Whites star - but it could still be a deal that would work for both parties no matter how fortune favours them this coming weekend.