Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez has warned interested clubs to abandon any hopes of signing Sean Longstaff on loan this January.
The 21-year-old midfielder made his Premier league debut against Liverpool on Boxing Day and impressed during his brief cameo.
With Ki Sung-yueng on international duty and Jonjo Shelvey struggling for fitness, Longstaff could feature regularly in the near future, and Benitez has urged the prodigy to focus in forcing his way into the Spaniard’s plans.
Speaking to the Chronicle, he said: “I think he is a great young player and a lad who has a future here.
“He’s with us. We will decide what happens this month.
“At the moment, I have told him he will stay with us and he has to try to be in the squad and try to compete.
“One of the good things he has is composure on the ball. When he has the ball he is capable of making the right decisions.
“Young players sometimes get excited and make mistakes but he is OK and I think he is mature for his age.”
OPINION
Longstaff could prove to be one of the brightest sparks in what promises to be a difficult and dour new year for Newcastle. The club have rallied in recent weeks, but have hit a snag over their past couple of matches and now face an unenviable run of fixtures that will see them face Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham between now and the beginning of February. The 21-year-old is likely to get a decent amount of time in the side in the coming weeks with Ki missing, and if he makes good on the promising potential he so clearly possesses then he could force his way into Benitez’s plans on a permanent basis. It’s grey sky thinking, but if the Magpies do go down then they will need players like Longstaff to rebuild a side around. The young man could be a mainstay of the Toon Army’s midfield for years to come.