According to the latest reports from the Chronicle, Newcastle United are in talks with both the Longstaff brothers over possible new deals. Sean Longstaff has his contract at the club until 2022 as he signed a new deal last year. However, after impressing in the previous few months, he could be handed a new, improved contract.
On the other hand, Matthew Longstaff’s contract situation is more pressing as he is already in the last year of his deal at the club. The 19-year-old will be allowed to talk with clubs from abroad in January, and he could go on to leave for a paltry sum.
The recent impact of Matthew Longstaff
After his recent debut performance against Manchester United, Matty Longstaff’s new contract should be high on the agenda of the club. Often youngsters are eased into the first team by involving them in low-pressure games on their debut, but Steve Bruce was brave enough to start him in the tie against Manchester United. The 19-year-old repaid his manager’s confidence by scoring the only goal of the tie.
Apart from the goal, Longstaff did a lot of things right as he pressed well and moved the ball well in possession. He even came close to scoring in the first half as well as his long-range attempt just grazed the top of the bar. Even though Jonjo Shelvey was fit to be included in the squad, the manager prefered a 19-year-old in a big clash against Manchester United, and that shows how much confidence the team management has in him.
Manchester United’s interest in Longstaff senior
The fact that both the Longstaff’s have come up from the club’s academy and are Newcastle fans means that the Magpies should be able to tie them down to a new deal. Sean Longstaff meanwhile attracted plenty of interest from Manchester United this summer, but the Toon were stubborn with their price tag of £25m.
It is clear that Sean will continue to attract interest from some of the big clubs in the future. The 21-year-old is calm and composed in possession, and he often seems to have bit more time than other players in midfield. In fact, he has been compared to former England international Michael Carrick due to his similar playing style.
Newcastle should do everything in their means to keep the two at St. James’ Park for long and we can see a fairytale partnership starting in the middle for years to come as both are yet to hit their prime.
