A report in the Manchester Evening News claims Manchester United target James Maddison may sign a new contract at Leicester despite interest, and Sean Longstaff should do likewise at Newcastle.
Both midfielders have been rumoured to be on an Old Trafford wish-list in the past few months, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tries to stock his squad with young talent.
Newcastle have told the Red Devils Longstaff is not for sale, and talk has cooled since the closure of the summer transfer window, but with January around the corner, it is likely to reemerge in the coming weeks.
Maddison has been heavily linked with a move, and it would likely be a blow to Solskjaer if the player extends his current deal – which runs until 2023 – at the Foxes.
But it is exactly that type of loyalty Newcastle, and the fans, expect to see from Longstaff, especially as it is his boyhood club, and one that he could be integral to in future years.
Deals have not been agreed for either of the Longstaffs
With talks over a new deal said to be on hold, and Longstaff’s agents likely to be ramping up their demands, due to the reported summer interest in their client, it is an edgy time for fans ahead of the winter trading period.
Sean’s younger brother Matty is also in talks over a new deal, with him able to speak to clubs in January, as his current deal expires in June.
I would still expect both brothers to be Newcastle players in the coming years, but until the contracts are signed, the possibility of an Andy Carroll to Liverpool type of shock deal, lurks in the background.
Loyalty is not as prominent in football as it once was. Both Longstaffs should commit to Newcastle, and take their inspiration from possibly the loyalist Geordie star in recent times – Alan Shearer.
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