While Sean Longstaff has largely flattered to deceive since Rafa Benitez left the club in that he’s never hit the heights of becoming the ‘new Carrick’ as Louise Taylor of the Guardian described him, he does reportedly have a big admirer.
Indeed, Benitez’s great rival Jose Mourinho is said to be watching his situation on Tyneside with his contract due to expire in 18 months as Tottenham eye up a move according to the Mirror (via The Boot Room).
The Mail recently reported he’d switched agents potentially to secure a move elsewhere and Miguel Delaney pointed out that Steve Bruce’s old-fashioned approach to coaching is thought by some in the game to have held the player back.
If these reports are true, then shame on Newcastle United.
Is Steve Bruce ruining Sean Longstaff?
Yes
No
Yes, Longstaff has struggled but if the club lose a talented young player from the local area because they did not help him develop, then it’d be a crying shame. This is a man whose initial performances saw him linked to Manchester United yet, at St. James’ Park, he’s done little but totally stagnate.
The club’s academy isn’t exactly renowned for producing top class players these days so were the Toon to lose a graduate who actually broke into the starting XI as a result of not giving him a platform from which to grow, it would be the most shameful loss of talent in quite a while.
We’ve seen what Longstaff can do. Let’s not have to watch him to do it elsewhere.
In other news, here’s why it’s worth sticking with Dwight Gayle!