Newcastle United know fine well that their PSR position will be much healthier if they sell some players.
That is something they have already done in 2025, with Newcastle selling Lloyd Kelly and Miguel Almiron. Those deals were vitally important for the club’s finances, ensuring that complying with PSR on 30th June was not a problem.
But Newcastle United still need more outgoing business. As long as the club’s commercial revenue is at the level it is at, the best way to enhance PSR is by player trading.
When it comes to player trading, the most likely candidate to leave St James’ Park remains Sean Longstaff.
Sean Longstaff is pictured training with Newcastle United during pre-season.
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
How Newcastle United have felt about Sean Longstaff
That has been the case for a long time, with the Athletic providing an update on how the 27-year-old has been viewed internally for more than six months.
According to the Athletic, there has been an expectation within Newcastle United that Longstaff will leave the club since late 2024.
Longstaff’s contract was extended in December, with Newcastle taking the option to add an extra year onto his deal. That ensured that the midfielder would not leave the club on a free transfer in 2025, with his contract now running until 2026.
But talks over a longer extension were put on hold, with the Magpies of the belief that the local lad would move on in 2025. He could have gone in January, but Longstaff chose to stay at Newcastle. He will be glad of that decision, as Newcastle went on to win the Carabao Cup.
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Newcastle United cannot pass up this Sean Longstaff opportunity
While Longstaff did not leave in January, a departure is still on the cards this summer – but only if the money is right.
It had looked like Longstaff was going to join Leeds United for £12million, only for the Magpies to ultimately reject that offer. They want more money for a player who has Premier League and Champions League experience.
Newcastle’s Longstaff decision shocked fans, who are adamant that the club must cash in on him this summer. If they don’t, they are squandering a massive opportunity.
Newcastle need to sell Longstaff for PSR reasons. He will go down as pure profit, at a time when the Magpies need to move fringe players on to avoid the pressure of losing one of their top stars. In that respect, it would be a huge mistake if Newcastle let the summer transfer window pass by without selling Longstaff.
Losing him on a free transfer in 12 months would be disastrous business. While they understandably want as lucrative a deal as possible, Newcastle cannot afford to let Longstaff walk away for nothing in 2026.