Tag: Sean Longstaff

Steve Bruce insists Newcastle United won’t sell Sean Longstaff

Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce has indicated that he is confident that Sean Longstaff will remain with the club next season amid the interest from Manchester United. The 21-year-old made just nine appearances for the Magpies last term but his potential has apparently caught the eye of the Red Devils, who are said to be preparing a £30m bid.

Speaking to reporters, Bruce stressed that the Magpies are not looking at the prospect of selling their young players and he is confident that Longstaff will continue to serve the club for the forthcoming campaign, he said:“That won’t happen. I’m very confident. We don’t want to sell our best young players, that’s for sure.”

Meanwhile, Magpies owner Mike Ashley has recently shown ambition with the £40m purchase of Joelinton from Hoffenheim and Bruce has acknowledged that he has been pleased with the proceedings to date, he added: “We had a conversation which will obviously stay with us but that can only be a positive thing. I hope it continues. He wants the club to go forward. If he didn’t he wouldn’t have been here today I’d have thought. Of course, he wants more than just finishing 17th. You can’t say anyone at Newcastle is just happy to be 17th.”

The Magpies have lost key players in the form of Ayoze Perez and Salomon Rondon upfront this summer and the club are working to solve the concern ahead of the new season. Joelinton has been bought from Hoffenheim to provide a commanding physical presence upfront and it remains to be seen whether he can quickly adapt to the demands of the Premier League.

The Tyneside outfit have managed to stay clear of the Premier League drop zone in the past two seasons despite finding themselves in trouble at the midway stage of those campaigns. The fans will be hoping that the club can avoid a repeat of the same next term.

Connolly urges Longstaff to stay with Newcastle a little longer

Former Sunderland striker David Connolly has advised Sean Longstaff to remain with Newcastle United for a little longer in order to develop into a top-class performer. The 21-year-old only made his full Premier League debut for the Magpies earlier in the year but he has managed to sufficiently impress to catch the eye of Manchester United.

As such, he has recently been touted to make a big-money move to the Red Devils but Connolly feels the midfielder would be better served sticking with the Magpies for a lengthier period, he said: “I think he is a terrific young player, I really do. I think he has got a really bright future ahead of him, but I think he would be best served just going and playing a little bit longer at Newcastle.”

The Red Devils are understood to be planning an initial bid worth £18m for the midfielder with an additional £7m to be settled as performance-based add-ons. Even if they succeed with the approach, it remains unclear whether Longstaff would agree to the transfer, given he has recently indicated that he is committed to the Magpies after making a long-awaited journey to the first-team.

Aside from Longstaff, United are also understood to be interested in signing Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka and reports suggest that they have already found the breakthrough in terms of the transfer fee. The Red Devils are deemed to have agreed on a £60m deal with the Eagles and there are suggestions that the move could be made official during the next few days.

Meanwhile, the Magpies remain unclear over the summer transfer plans as they await to find out whether there would be a change in ownership. Likewise, the future of manager Rafael Benitez remains under doubt with his existing contract due to expire at the end of the month.

BBC pundit warns Sean Longstaff against leaving Newcastle

BBC pundit Kevin Kilbane has warned Sean Longstaff against pursuing a move away from Newcastle United during this summer’s transfer window. The midfielder only made his debut for the Magpies in December but he has managed to make a huge impression around the Premier League with the gametime he has been offered.

In a report covered by BBC Sport, Kilbane said that Longstaff has the credentials to become a top player but it is too early for him to think about the prospect of playing for a big club like Manchester United, he told: “A good player. It’s still too early in my mind. He’s not played enough football, certainly at the top level. The games that I have seen him play, very good footballer and a technically good footballer [But] it’s too early for that one [Longstaff to United]. Bad idea [for] now.”

Longstaff made only eight appearances for the Magpies last season but he managed to produce several standout performers before sustaining a season-ending knee injury. As such, United have been claimed as one of the high-profile clubs after his signature and it remains to be seen whether  Longstaff is tempted by the prospect.

The Magpies are currently said to value the midfielder at around £25m and that should be well within the reach of United, who are aiming to pursue a recruit to bolster the centre of the park. Nonetheless, Longstaff has no assurances of gametime unlike at the Magpies, where he was able to cement a regular role following his debut and that could hamper his development at such an early phase of his career. Meanwhile, Newcastle United managed to stay clear of the Premier League drop zone for the second-straight campaign last term and the supporters will be hoping that the team can re-invest more funds to cement their top-flight status for another season at the least. Prior to that, they need to sort out the future of influential manager Rafael Benitez, whose contract expires next month.