£40m Newcastle player may change his mind over his future after Dan Ashworth leaves

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Newcastle United are now close to tying down one of their star players for the long-term future after sporting director Dan Ashworth left the club.

The future of midfielder Joelinton has been up in the air for a while now as he is set to enter the final year of his contract next season and was unhappy with the terms of his old deal.

Now, a new report from The Telegraph is claiming that progress has been made in the negotiations ever since Ashworth left Newcastle two weeks ago now.

Ashworth departure gives Newcastle huge boost

As one of the key figures in the team under Eddie Howe, Newcastle do not want to lose Joelinton by any means and it is imperative for their future success that they get him tied down to a new contract.

Howe already made it clear that he’s desperate for his star midfielder to commit his future with the club so that they can move on with it and not have to keep talking about the situation.

It looks like it was Ashworth who was unhappy with what Joelinton was demanding as the Brazilian international felt that he deserved a contract that reflected his ability in the team, wanting to be amongst the highest earners.

Now, with Ashworth leaving to join Man United, it’s understood that Amanda Staveley has taken over negotiations at Newcastle and they’re now seeing real progress in finalising a deal with Joelinton in the very near future.

Joelinton gives Newcastle something different

Joelinton may not be the best midfielder in the Premier League, but his unique ability to be a physical presence and a great carrier of the ball makes him very valuable to Newcastle.

They most missed him in the game against Arsenal where they suffered a heavy defeat and the midfield in particular was exploited for having a lack of pace and physicality which has been absent ever since Joelinton picked up that knock against Sunderland.

The downside is that he will not be returning until the end of the season, but with the potential of a new deal soon to be announced Newcastle can find comfort in the fact they have not yet seen the last of the £40m player.

While losing Ashworth was obviously a blow to their long-term plans, it may have also been a bit of a blessing in disguise if it means Newcastle now get to keep hold of Joelinton for the foreseeable.