This exchange arrangement may be the solution to Newcastle United and Brentford’s difficulties, at the expense of Manchester United.
Newcastle and Manchester United will enter the 2025 summer transfer window in different moods and with different goals after two very different seasons.
Newcastle United enjoyed their best season in living memory, winning the EFL Cup and qualifying for the Champions League for the second time in three seasons. They finished fifth. This summer is about taking things to the next level, keeping key players like Alexander Isak while looking for difference-makers who can transform Champions League hopes into title contenders.
Manchester United experienced the polar opposite season, finishing last in the league for the first time since 1975, and their Europa League final defeat to perennial near-men Tottenham Hotspur only added to their woes. This summer, significant modifications are required.
Head coach Ruben Amorim has to bring in players who can play in his rigorous formation, and he knows that there are no more vital transfer windows than this one. The signing of Matheus Cunha is rumoured to be close, but it is only the beginning if United expect to return to European competition next season.
The Newcastle United and Brentford swap deal which could impact Manchester United’s plans
Bryan Mbeumo is a man in high demand right now. The Cameroon international, who recently had the finest season of his career with 20 Premier League goals, is on the radar of a number of elite clubs in England and beyond. Newcastle and Manchester United are two examples of such clubs.
Manchester United have been regarded as favourites to sign the £50 million Brentford forward, who could play in the middle or wide behind the striker for Amorim’s side. Mbeumo’s addition, together with Cunha’s, has the potential to change United’s goal-scoring output.
However, Newcastle might still throw a wrench in the works, and they have an ace in their sleeve in academy graduate midfielder Sean Longstaff. Longstaff has been linked with a £12 million move to Everton or Leeds United, but he may also find a new home at the Gtech Community Stadium if the Magpies opt to use him in a sneaky player-for-cash swap with the West Londoners.
The complications around a Sean Longstaff transfer
