The dream Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest swap transfer deal that would benefit both clubs hugely

It has been almost a decade since Jamaal Lascelles left Nottingham Forest, a fresh-faced prospect standing atop a mountainous heap of potential. The extent to which he has fulfilled that promise in the years that have followed is a matter of personal opinion.

Certainly, he never made the graduation to senior England international as many thought he might, nor has he won anything beyond a Championship title with his relegated Newcastle United side. Nevertheless, he has played almost 250 times for one of the biggest clubs in English football, captaining them on a considerable number of those outings, as well as featuring in the Champions League, match day squads for Wembley finals, and all kinds of Geordie affections.

The Magpies are, however, a team in transition. Bankrolled by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, theirs is a dressing room divided between those players who have been signed with the express intention of dragging them to the forefront of the continental game, and those who are little more than an inconvenient legacy from the pre-takeover malaise. Lascelles is very much an example of the latter.

Displaced in the starting XI by Sven Botman, and with new central defensive acquisitions touted every transfer window, it feels like a matter of time before the club captain is quietly shuffled out of the exit door at St. James' Park. Where he would end up after such a departure remains to be seen.

In the here and now, however, Newcastle's focus is not on bolstering their defensive, but rather, reinforcing their attacking options. Recent days have brought news of Miguel Almiron's prospective exit, with a big money Saudi Arabian exit on the cards. With Financial Fair Play snapping at Geordie heels, cynics would perhaps regard such an outcome as awfully convenient. And if the Paraguayan Mr. Bean does leave, then the Magpies have reportedly set their sights on Nottingham Forest talisman Morgan Gibbs-White as his potential replacement.

With every passing month, the 23-year-old justifies the £42.5 million or so that Forest spent on him just a little bit more. A creative fulcrum, Gibbs-White is the metronome to which his side's tempo is anchored. In an ideal world, Forest would hang on to him for as long as they possibly can, but Nuno Espirito Santo's men are not operating in an ideal world.

Financial pressures continue to hound the Midlands club, and as usual, the prescribed course of action from many has been to free up funds by offloading players. To that end, Newcastle could capitalise with the right bid this month, but there may well be a way of sweetening the deal for both clubs.

While losing Gibbs-White would be a hammer blow, the homecoming of a well-respected academy product would go a short way towards softening it somewhat. It is only a matter of time before Lascelles is deemed fully surplus to requirements on Tyneside, so why not use him as ballast now to help file down the likely expense of a swoop for Gibbs-White? As recently as last year Forest were being linked with a move for the 30-year-old, and this could be a move that ultimately suits all parties.

For their part, Newcastle secure a new attacking gem for a reduced price, while Forest bring in an experienced head to help shore up the fourth-worst defence in the Premier League while also securing a tidy monetary package too. Gibbs-White completes a move to a team who have aspirations of European football, and Lascelles returns to a club who could offer him a more prominent role, especially in the long term.

There are obstacles and caveats, of course, but at the very least, it could be something to consider.