Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff has admitted that “It’s up to the club” to give him a new contract.
The Toon are in the process of sealing contracts for some of their more highly rated players and have already secured the future of Martin Dubravka for the next six years.
A deal for Sean’s younger brother Matty is also believed to be close – while talks with Matt Ritchie and Jonjo Shelvey are ongoing.
However, a new deal for Sean seems to be further away, and in his latest interview, he claimed that there were talks but that they were not ongoing.
The 22-year-old, though, is adamant that this contract situation will not distract him – as he looks to knuckle down and fight for a regular starting spot in Steve Bruce’s side.
Sean, who is valued at £16.2m, has made eight appearances this season and provided one assist, but he is yet to hit the heights of last year, and the recent form of Isaac Hayden and Shelvey is unlikely to mean he is brought straight back into the starting XI.
The interest from Manchester United has apparently cooled, and that could be why Newcastle have suspended talks for now.
However, there was also a report released, which suggested that Newcastle want Sean to show more before they give him a new deal.
Does Sean Longstaff deserve a new deal?
Yes, he is a crucial player
No, he needs to do more
The 22-year-old has undoubted ability, and he dominated the match against Manchester United.
However, he needs to show more consistency in the coming weeks to secure a spot in the midfield, and then we can start discussing a new contract.