Sean Longstaff’s stance on Newcastle United future as talk of £15m exit grows

Sean Longstaff’s stance on Newcastle United future as talk of £15m exit grows
Lee Ryder
3 – 4 minutes

Sean Longstaff has been told to fight for his place at Newcastle United with Eddie Howe making his stance on the long-serving midfielder clear this month.

But that has not stopped speculation that the former North Shields junior is available for a late window sale. The Athletic report that Longstaff could be sold to create headroom from a PSR point of view with the club also knowing that any sale would lead to pure profit.

Chronicle Live understands that there is no pressure to sell the midfielder and he is not in a position to start discussing any pre-arranged deals this January due to his contract status. Longstaff’s deal is understood to run until at least summer 2026 and as reported on January 13, he is not out of contract at the end of season.
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Asked about Longstaff’s position earlier this month, Howe had told Chronicle Live: “I think Sean is fighting for his place and he has responded well to that challenge. It is very difficult for him and it is always very difficult for any player.

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“You are competing for a place and you are seeing the team actually perform really well. We are really stable in midfield. The challenge for you then goes up. It is the same for all of our midfielders.

“The competition for places is so strong. You have six top players who all want to play, and if I go with that system, I can only pick three.”
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Speaking about his longer-term plans, Longstaff, who has not expressed a desire to leave, said after the 1-0 win over Arsenal: “Yeah, if it’s (my future) here it’s great. If it’s not, it’s not. I want to be valued as a player, I want to be appreciated as a player and whether it’s here great. If it’s not here and it’s somewhere else, it’ll be somewhere else.

“In a way I live day to day, game to game and I just try and take in every game. I get to go to work every day and spend it with my best friends, I don’t know what’s coming ahead, I don’t know what’s coming down the line, I just try to embrace every day and enjoy every minute because ultimately it won’t last forever.”

Leicester City and Everton have both been linked with a move for the midfielder in recent weeks. However, both club’s Premier league futures remain uncertain as they battle to avoid relegation.

Longstaff has been valued at around £15m in some transfer talk. He was previously a target for Manchester United when Rafa Benitez was United manager.