Luke Edwards has been speaking on BBC Radio Newcastle about the major decision Sean Longstaff has to make about his Newcastle United future.
Longstaff burst onto the scene under old manager Rafael Benitez during the 2018/19 season which saw him net his first-ever Premier League goal in front of a jam-packed St Jamés’ Park, but in the three seasons that have followed, he’s not been able to start more than 15 league games.
Would you like Longstaff to stay?
Yes!
No!
Longstaff has seen his minutes severely restricted under Eddie Howe since the arrival of Bruno Guimaraes and the emergence of Joelinton a dominant central midfielder, starting just the four games since the middle of January, although he’s still been offered a bumper four-year contract.
The midfielder is set to become a free agent this summer if he doesn’t end up signing a new deal and Edwards believes it’s a huge decision for the midfielder’s career.
He said: “I think Longstaff has taken a massive step forward but he’s got a very big decision.”
TIF Thoughts on Longstaff’s contract…
It’s an interesting and difficult situation that Longstaff finds himself in as he’s reportedly been offered a four-year deal to play for his boyhood club that clearly has lofty ambitions because of their new owners. However, it’s very unlikely that he’d be a regular starter under Howe given how little he’s played since the close of the transfer window.
Howe has previously claimed that he would like to keep Longstaff at the club, and with the midfielder clearly knowing what the club means to fans, being one himself, he would always be someone to give 100%, but with his future likely to be on the bench on Tyneside, he could be better off going somewhere he can be guaranteed first-team football.