Newcastle United are still expected to sell Sean Longstaff this season, despite rejecting a third offer from Leeds United on Wednesday evening.
After coming through the academy and making a fantastic career for himself on Tyneside, it looks as if the 2024/25 season was the last for Sean Longstaff at Newcastle United.
It has been reported that Leeds United are interested in Longstaff, who has a year left on his current deal. However, the two clubs remain apart in their valuation of the 27-year-old, leaving the deal hanging in the balance.
Longstaff has told Newcastle to sell him this summer in order for the club to get a transfer fee. The summer transfer window will be one of the last times they can secure a good fee for him as his contract runs out in 2026.
It was reported that Newcastle rejected Leeds’ third offer for Longstaff, a bid in the region of £10million with £2m in add-ons. His impending exit means that there will be more opportunities for midfielders to play in the starting XI next season. One player who will benefit is Lewis Miley, a midfielder who has also come through Newcastle’s academy.
Miley should get more opportunities to impress next season, and a new report has shared what those within the club are expecting of him.
Lewis Miley during an FA Cup game between Newcastle United and Bromley.
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Newcastle United staff expect Lewis Miley to have a breakout season
Having made his professional debut at just 16 years old, Newcastle have unearthed a very promising player in Miley.
The midfielder has been a big part of Newcastle’s first-team squad over the last two seasons, but his progress has been slightly hampered by injury. However, Miley was able to impress in the games he played last season, which included him scoring in a 4-3 win against Nottingham Forest in February.
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Now 19, Miley has already proven that he does not need to play in the academy anymore, and is ready for more first-team football next season. With the Magpies set for a busy 2025/26 campaign there will surely be more opportunity for him to play.
According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle will look to sign a new midfielder if Longstaff leaves this summer, but they are expecting a big season from Miley.
The report also states that Joe Willock could be a big part of the squad next season if he avoids any injuries during pre-season. Willock was linked with a move to Crystal Palace this summer, but those words suggest he is still in Howe’s thinking.
Lewis Miley will struggle to break into Newcastle United’s starting XI next season
Miley was supposed to be in the England Under-19s squad for the European Championships in Romania, but a lingering injury problem forced him to bow out of the group to focus on his recovery. If everything has cleared, Miley should be back in pre-season training with Newcastle ahead of next season.
While club staff are confident Miley will have a big season, it is tough to see him breaking into the starting lineup at the beginning of the campaign.
Newcastle have a sensational midfield trio of Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes. The three were brilliant last season, so Howe is unlikely to break them up immediately.
However, it was revealed late last season that Miley had overtaken Longstaff in the pecking order due to the qualities he can already deliver at his age. With Longstaff now set to leave, Miley could be just an injury or suspension away from a place in the starting XI next season.
The future is bright for Miley, and he will be itching for his opportunity to impress.