DONE DEAL: The ideal transfer agreement between Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United, which would greatly benefit both teams..

DONE DEAL: The ideal transfer agreement between Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United, which would greatly benefit both teams..

The ideal transfer agreement between Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United, which would greatly benefit both teams..

Nearly ten years have passed since Jamaal Lascelles left Nottingham Forest as a young, promising player atop a massive mountain of promise. One’s personal judgment on how much he has lived up to that pledge in the years since is irrelevant.

He never advanced to the senior England international team, despite what many believed, and he only managed to win a Championship trophy with his relegated Newcastle United team. Still, he has around 250 games under his belt for one of the biggest teams in English football, leading them in many of those matches. He has also been a part of the Champions League, Wembley final matchday squads, and a host of other Geordie affinities.

But the Magpies are a team that is changing. Their dressing room is split between players who were signed specifically to propel them to the top of the continental game and those who are merely an awkward holdover from the pre-takeover slump. The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia finances the team. Lascelles is a prime illustration of the latter.

Sven Botman has been pushing the club captain out of the starting lineup, and with fresh central defensive recruits being heralded every transfer window, it seems just a matter of time until the captain is quietly escorted out of St. James’ Park. It’s unclear where he might wind up following such a departure.

But for the time being, Newcastle seems more interested in enhancing their offensive alternatives than strengthening their defense. There has been talk in the past several days about Miguel Almiron’s potential departure, which could involve a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia. Cynics could consider such a result to be incredibly handy, especially with Financial Fair Play nipping at Geordie’s heels. And should the Paraguayan Mr. Bean depart, Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White is said to be the Magpies’ top target to take his place.

The 23-year-old makes Forest’s approximately £42.5 million investment in him seem even more justified with each month that goes by. Gibbs-White is the creative center, the beat that drives his team’s tempo. A perfect scenario would see Forest holding onto him for as long as they could, but it is not the world Nuno Espirito Santo’s men are living in.

The Midlands club is still facing financial difficulties, and as usual, many have advised them to clear some cash by selling players. Newcastle might profit from this this month with the appropriate offer, but there might be a method to make the trade more agreeable for both teams.