Newcastle United set to agree £10m summer transfer exit - on one condition
Newcastle United are willing to part ways with Sean Longstaff this summer - if that is what the midfielder wants.
Longstaff joined his boyhood club at the age of nine and after progressing through the academy has made over 200 senior appearances. He has scored 16 goals in that time, including one against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and against Southampton in the 2023 Carabao Cup semi-final.
However, the 27-year-old has fallen down the pecking order this campaign. Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton have established themselves as the first-choice midfield three, while Joe Willock and Lewis Miley have come on as substitutes ahead of Longstaff in recent times.
Longstaff started 40 times in all competitions last season, compared to this season’s 12. His last Premier League start came in December with his two starts in 2025 coming in the FA Cup against lower league opposition in Bromley and Birmingham City.
Eddie Howe open response on Sean Longstaff’s future
Asked about Longstaff’s lack of minutes and if he needed ‘motivated’, United boss Eddie Howe said: “I don't look at it that way. I don't think I have to motivate him. I shouldn't have to motivate him. He should motivate himself. He's here representing the club that he loves, so there should be no issue on motivation. He has to be ready to take a chance when it comes.
“I think any train of thought that I have to, I can't do that for all 25 players, but Sean is motivated. He's been brilliant behind the scenes. He is training well, and he's got undoubted qualities. Sean has a contract for next year, so the control is very much in his hands in terms of what he wants to do with his long-term future. We're certainly delighted to have him within our players.”
Longstaff’s contract was set to expire in the summer before the club triggered an extension to keep him contracted until 2026. The decision is viewed as a strategic move to protect an asset and prevent him from walking away for free. In a world of Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), selling academy prospects carry greater monetary value as they generate “pure profit”.
Asked if the club would stand in Longstaff’s way if he wanted to leave, Howe said: “I think we’d work with Sean on that, I think he's got our utmost respect. He's been a brilliant servant to the football club.
“What I meant by that [he'll dictate his future] was he has a contract with the football club. So, in some senses, he can dictate what happens with his future. Let's wait and see on that. He's still a very valued member of the squad. He's got a big part to play.”
Everton and Leeds United interested in Sean Longstaff
Everton and Leeds United are interested in signing Longstaff, who is valued at £10million according to The Sun. Addressing his future last November, the Geordie hinted at a potential exit.
“If it’s here [my future] it’s great. If it’s not, it’s not,” Longstaff. “I want to be valued as a player, I want to be appreciated as a player and whether it’s here great. If it’s not here and it’s somewhere else, it’ll be somewhere else.
“In a way I live day to day, game to game and I just try and take in every game. I get to go to work every day and spend it with my best friends, I don’t know what’s coming ahead, I don’t know what’s coming down the line, I just try to embrace every day and enjoy every minute because ultimately it won’t last forever.”