“I don’t feel needed at this club anymore”- Newcastle United star has been a shock given exit timeline amid Everton interest after ‘difficult’ Eddie Howe admission
“I don’t feel needed at this club anymore”- Newcastle United star has been a shock given exit timeline amid Everton interest after ‘difficult’ Eddie Howe admission
The 27-year-old has attracted interest from Wolves, Everton and Leicester City
Newcastle United academy graduate Sean Longstaff faces a huge decision on his long-term future after falling down the St James’ Park pecking order.
The 27-year-old midfielder, who has been a near ever present throughout the Eddie Howe era, has started just one match in the last month following a dismal 4-2 defeat to Brentford in the Premier League.
Longstaff’s omission has coincided with an upturn in fortunes for the Magpies, with the likes of Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes all forming one of the most in-form midfield trios of the Premier League.
In Guimaraes’ absence in the League Cup semi-final against Arsenal, Howe instead opted to start Joe Willock, while in Longstaff’s only recent start against Bromley, he struggled to take charge of the midfield battle and was instead outshone by academy graduate Lewis Miley, who scored the equalizing goal with a thunderous strike from distance.
Longstaff has played 204 times for Newcastle and has been a dependable option throughout Howe’s time at the club as the Magpies climbed from the foot of the table into the Champions League qualification zones while reaching a League Cup final in 2023 along the way.
Blessed with sensational workrate, great stamina and an ability to win the ball high up the pitch when pressing, it is clear Howe rates Longstaff highly – and at times he has treated Newcastle to some great moments including goals against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and a brace in the semi-final of the 2023 Carabao Cup against Southampton.
However, as he approaches the final 18 months of his contract, and with the likes of Miley and Willock both showing the potential to usurp him in the pecking order, it looks increasingly likely that the club may look to make a profit on the North Shields-born midfielder, who for PSR reasons would make the club maximum profit after coming through the academy.
Telegraph Sport suggests Newcastle are open to the idea of making profit on Longstaff amid strong interest from returning Everton boss David Moyes and also links with fellow strugglers Wolves and Leicester City.
However, the outlet claims Newcastle are unwilling to change the dynamic of the midfield in January due to the team’s recent form and Longstaff’s role behind the scenes.
Instead the outlet claims that a deal is ‘likely’ to take place in the summer, and adds that Longstaff himself sees his long-term future away from St James’ Park due to his lack of first team action.
Eddie Howe makes ‘difficult’ Sean Longstaff admission
Eddie Howe has been a vocal admirer of Sean Longstaff throughout his time in the dugout, but admits that the 27-year-old is now fighting for his place and is finding things difficult at the moment.
Speaking about Longstaff’s future, Howe said (via 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.
