Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff is set to sign a new long-term contract to end doubts about his future, according to the Chronicle.
The regional newspaper claim the central midfielder, 20, is ready to commit after holding “positive” discussions with the north-east giants during the international break.
The Chronicle report there has been “big interest from the Continent” in Longstaff, with one Bundesliga side “waiting in the wings” for the academy product while there is also interest from France and Spain, as well as the likes of Rangers, Celtic and Bournemouth have also monitored him.
OPINION
Little wonder there is such interest in Longstaff, who is out of contract at the end of the season. Foreign clubs could then sign him for £300,000, while English outfits would have to pay a compensation fee – possibly going into millions – to Newcastle for developing him. Clearly, Newcastle are eager he doesn’t go overseas or north of the border, in which case they would be left with barely nothing. There are plenty of football reasons for hanging on to Longstaff, too. He demonstrated his immense promise while enjoying what was a productive loan at Blackpool last season, scoring eight goals and supplying five assists in 42 league appearances. The accomplished youngster was closing to joining Portsmouth in the summer, but Rafael Benitez blocked the deal in what was a ringing endorsement of his talent. Can he now make the next step from appearing in the League Cup to making his Premier League bow?