Newcastle United Opinion: Magpies should complete Gayle-Cairney swap deal

According to The Northern Echo, Newcastle United are interested in signing Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney in the summer, with Dwight Gayle going the other way in a swap deal.

Gayle, who has scored 23 goals for West Brom in the Championship this season, has attracted interest from Fulham, as the Cottagers plan for a season in the second tier following their relegation from the Premier League. (h/t Northern Echo)

Newcastle, on the other hand, have a long-standing interest in £20 million-rated midfielderTom Cairney, which is expected to resurface when Isaac Hayden leaves the club in the summer. (h/t Northern Echo)

Benitez’s contract at Tyneside is set to expire at the end of the season and the Spaniard is yet to extend his stay, as he waits to see what kind of budget the club allots him in the summer.

If Benitez does continue as the manager beyond the current season, he is likely to bring in some fresh faces to add more depth and quality to his squad.

Meanwhile, Fulham are likely to lose some of their star players in the summer after getting relegated, with Aleksandar Mitrovic being amongst those to have been linked with a move elsewhere. The Serb has hit double figures for Fulham in the Premier League and he is unlikely to stick around in the Championship.

The Cottagers would need to bolster their attack in the summer and find a replacement for Mitrovic if they are to secure promotion back to the Premier Leauge in the first time of asking.

And Dwight Gayle, despite his struggles in the top-flight over the years, has shown what a lethal a striker he can be at the Championship level.

The 28-year-old netted 23 goals in the second division in the 2016-17 season to fire Newcastle back to the Premier League and he has replicated that feat once again at West Brom this time around, though it remains to be seen whether the Baggies manage to get themselves back to the top-flight.

Nevertheless, Gayle is a proven source of goals at the Championship level and undoubtedly, the perfect man to propel Fulham to a promotion-winning campaign next term.

The Northern Echo claims that Gayle has no future at Newcastle and he would be prepared to stay at West Brom permanently, though Fulham also have a good chance of getting their hands on him come the end of the season.

Speaking about Tom Cairney, the Scotsman hasn’t had the kind of impact at Fulham in the Premier League as many would have expected, with injuries forcing him to spend considerable time on the sidelines.

However, he rose to the occasion last week and scored with a brilliant left-footed effort in Fulham’s 2-0 victory over Everton, showing exactly why Newcastle want to sign him in the summer.

The Magpies are at risk of losing several of their first-team central midfield options and Cairney, with his solid well-rounded attributes, should be a good fit at Tyneside.

Issac Hayden has been one of the standout performers for Newcastle this season but he is likely to complete a move away the north-east to stay closer to his family (h/t Shields Gazette). Mo Diame has been a useful long-term servant to the club but the Senegalese ace might also head for the exit door, as the Magpies are unwilling to hand him a long-term contract at the age of 31 (h/t Chronicle Live).

Sean Longstaff has enjoyed an impressive breakthrough season at St.James’ Park and Ki-Sung Yueng has done reasonably well but Jonjo Shelvey has struggled for form and fitness, which might prompt Newcastle to cash in on him at the end of the season.

An intelligent midfielder noted for his vision, impressive range of distribution and quality on the ball, Cairney has a knack of turning the game on its head with defence-splitting through balls and key passes.

He likes to drive forward and makes those late runs into the dangerous areas in and around the penalty area, which should add another dimension to Newcastle’s existing options.

Furthermore, Cairney is more than capable of holding things together and cutting out attacks with his wonderful understanding of the game.

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Gayle and Cairney are both aged 28 and are pretty much at the prime of their careers. While Newcastle should look at Cairney in a bid to solve their central midfield dilemma, Fulham should relish having a striker of Dwight Gayle’s pedigree in the Championship next season.

Swap deals in the transfer market don’t come off too often but it looks as if this one might just materialize, as it would be deal for all parties involved.