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Newcastle United have ‘important players’ who they want to tie down to new contracts in the coming weeks and months.
Fabian Schar and Sean Longstaff both recently passed 200 appearances for the club but based on the latest news from Newcastle, are out of contract in the summer. Schar has spoken openly about his desire to stay at Newcastle while head coach Eddie Howe is keen to keep the defender, who turned 33 last week.
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Longstaff’s situation is different as the club has an option to trigger an extension in his contract to extend it until June 2026. As per Mail Online, that extension is understood to have been triggered, but Howe refrained from providing an official update on the situation.
“We'll give you news on those things as and when things happen,” Howe told The Gazette. “We've got important players who are out of contract that we want to try and tie down to new contracts. We will give you the news when we have it.”
Triggering Longstaff’s contract extension clause ahead of the January transfer window protects the club from potentially losing an academy graduate for a low fee or nothing at all next month. Players into the final six months of their contracts can sign pre-contract agreements with clubs abroad to join on free transfers in the summer.
Sean Longstaff of Newcastle United looks dejected with teammates following defeat to Brighton at St James' Park. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)Sean Longstaff of Newcastle United looks dejected with teammates following defeat to Brighton at St James' Park. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
Sean Longstaff of Newcastle United looks dejected with teammates following defeat to Brighton at St James' Park. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The midfielder has been linked with the likes of Leicester City and Leeds United in the past. While Howe wouldn’t want to lose Longstaff or any player next month, PSR pressures and the financial incentives to sell academy graduates for ‘pure profit’ mean the club would have to take any interest seriously.
Longstaff, who is valued at around £15million, hasn’t started any of Newcastle’s last six matches with the midfield partnership of Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes currently flourishing.
“Of course, I'm speaking on behalf of the club and our wants but the players have their own wants and needs which you totally respect and understand because it's a short career and players have to be happy in their environment,” Howe explained. “They have to be absolutely content that we're trying to provide the right things for them in their careers and they're getting their wants and needs satisfied.
“It's always a two-way thing and we've got a really good group of professionals who are very, very professional and diligent. I can't speak highly enough of everybody really connected with the club at the moment.
“But of course, we'll always speak with players individually and try and find the right solutions.”
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