Leeds United’s third attempt to sign Sean Longstaff failed, with Newcastle United rejecting a £12m fee for the midfielder, and now a reason for that could have just emerged.
David Ornstein reported early this week that Leeds had tabled a third bid of £12m for Longstaff, but after initial reports said it had been accepted, it was then confirmed that Newcastle had rejected the offer.
Leeds remain interested and could make a fourth offer for Longstaff. But Adam Underwood has steered away from paying what he and the Leeds transfer team deem over the odds, and Leeds may move on.
Now, there could be a reason why Newcastle are requesting more money for Longstaff and that could be because of Jobe Bellingham’s move from Sunderland to Borussia Dortmund, which cost around £27.8m.
Frank Lampard applauds Everton's fans after a win over Leeds.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Newcastle may have to pay £30m for Longstaff replacement
Newcastle have identified a replacement for Longstaff in the event their academy product does leave, and ironically, it is a player Leeds have been linked with. Newcastle want to sign Leeds target Jack Rudoni.
Rudoni enjoyed a stellar 2024-25 season in which he starred in Frank Lampard’s Coventry revival, guiding The Sky Blues to the play-off final. In 50 appearances for Coventry, he had a hand in 23 Coventry goals.
With Bellingham joining Dortmund for £27.8m, The Chronicle say Coventry are using that as a precedent and want £30m for Rudoni. A huge fee for a Championship player, with Coventry desperate to keep him.
Sean Longstaff before Newcastle United vs Chelsea at St. James' Park.
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Indeed, he was the star of the show in Lampard’s side last season. Such is the asking price, it may be the reason Newcastle are trying to eke out as much as they can from Leeds, in order to afford Rudoni.
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Lampard has got the best out of Rudoni, giving him freedom to shine. Under his tutelage, Rudoni is often seen making Lampard-esque runs into the box. Because of Lampard, Rudoni’s price tag is high.
What Leeds think of their chances of resurrecting Longstaff move
The initial report from Ornstein said that Leeds had already taken a deal to £12m and it was the club’s third bid. Indeed, they were at the end of what they thought was the right value for the Newcastle star.
Jack Rudoni ahead of Coventry City vs Sunderland.
Photo by Kevin Hodgson | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
If Leeds do return with a fourth bid, you can expect Adam Underwood to remain stubborn. It saw Leeds and Udinese negotiate heavily on a fee for Jaka Bijol, before they struck what is seen as a £15m bargain.
For Newcastle to drop their price, they may have to agree a cheaper fee for Rudoni. Whether Coventry are willing to do that remains to be seen, with chairman Doug King renowned for getting a bang for his buck.