According to a recent report by the Daily Mail, Premier League side Newcastle United are close to tying down breakout star Matty Longstaff to a new long-term deal. It has been suggested that they are in conversation with elder brother Sean about a contract extension too, although the youngster has been the subject of interest from Manchester United over the summer. It is being claimed that Sean is currently stalling on signing a new deal in an attempt to get United to come for him again.
The Situation at Hand
Manchester United are said to have made an approach to sign the midfielder in the summer but were put off by the £50m asking price placed upon his head by the Magpies. Matty Longstaff made his Premier League debut a couple of weeks ago against Manchester United and even lived out his dream debut by scoring a fantastic goal. This performance by the Longstaff brother was enough to convince the Newcastle board to sign them both down to long-term deals.
Although Matty seems to be ready and willing to commit to the St.James’ Park-outfit, brother Sean’s decision will go a long way in deciding the Magpies’ immediate future.
What Sean Longstaff Adds to the Team
When Longstaff first broke onto the scene under Rafa Benitez, it was purely out of necessity. The Magpies were struggling to deal with a never-ending injury list that saw them bringing in players from the academy to fill in.
Once Sean Longstaff was included though, he showed the coaching staff just what he brings to the table. Now a regular in the first-team, the 21-year-old has one of the most composed and collected heads in the entire league.
Unbelievably confident on the ball, he has the ability to break down plays with sharp movements as well as intelligent interceptions. He has a keen eye for a pass and tends to be extremely unselfish in the final third. The fact that Sean Longstaff is a tall man makes him a threat from set-pieces while he is an invaluable asset in the defensive third as well. The youngster tends to position himself exceptionally well in the middle of the park to ensure effective distribution, which means that he tends to see a lot of the ball.
Newcastle Need to Convince Both Longstaff Brothers to Sign
Despite only having made 19 appearances for the Magpies, the elder Longstaff brother has undoubtedly managed to leave a lasting impression on the Newcastle United fans. His performances and work-rate since wriggling his way into the side have been nothing short of inspiring. Although signing Matty on to a new deal will be fairly important, it is absolutely essential for the Magpies to convince Sean to stay. The project developing at St.James’ Park has a lot of potential but all that would go down the drain if they sell their main cog to their Premier League rivals.
