Keeping Sean Longstaff and Isaac Hayden will be massive for Newcastle

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It has been a tortuous summer, even by Newcastle’s standards, but there may be a glint of light at the end of the tunnel for fans, who are hoping for a strong finish to the transfer window.

With Joelinton signed in a club record deal, and Allan Saint-Maximin likely to follow, the club are finally making strides in the transfer market.

It has been a long time coming, but it may yet prove to have been worth the wait.

But with all the big deals hopefully in the pipeline, the two best deals of the summer may not cost Newcastle a single penny in transfer fees.

At his press conference on Wednesday, Steve Bruce was asked about Sean Longstaff, and whether the player could end up at Old Trafford before the start of the season.

According to the Daily Star, Bruce said: “That won’t happen. I’m very confident.”

It was a categoric answer, and with the player said not to be agitating for a move, that should put an exclamation point at the end of the speculation.

The news sounded equally positive on his midfield partner

On top of that, there seem to be much more positive noises coming from both player and manager, when it comes to the future of Longstaff’s midfield partner, Isaac Hayden.

After long-wanting to move south to be closer to his family, the latest comments suggest he may have had a change of heart – which can only be good news for Newcastle fans.

Although the player did not state categorically that he was staying, he told the Shields Gazette he did not want to talk about his future anymore, and he is “fully committed” to Newcastle, as was evident from the second half of last season.

On top of that, Bruce told them he has had “a really positive conversation” with Hayden, who played for the new manager before, while on loan at Hull.

So although Toon fans were – and most still are – underwhelmed by Bruce’s appointment, the players, and particularly those that have played under him before, seem to have a lot of respect for him.

And if he can convince last season’s dynamic midfield duo their immediate futures are on Tyneside, it could well be the cherry on the top of the transfer cake for the Magpies.