Steve Bruce has guided Newcastle United to 12th in the Premier League table on 31 points after 25 matches, with safety in the top-flight seemingly within reach over their remaining 13 fixtures. However, once that has been assured, his main priority should be to secure one of the Magpies breakout stars this season, Matty Longstaff. The younger brother of Sean, who emerged last term, his contract is due to expire at the end of the season, and there is the potential that the 19-year-old could head for the exit door.
The 19-year-old defensive midfielder, valued £2.25m (Transfermarkt), burst onto the scene after scoring the winner against Manchester United on his debut, with a sensational long-range strike, which won the Goal of the Month competition for October 2019.
Since then he has doubled his goal tally for the season scoring two in seven Premier League appearances, meaning that only compatriot Jonjo Shelvey has scored more top-flight goals, five, for the Magpies this season. Longstaff has averaged 0.4 shots per game along with 0.4 key passes from the heart of Newcastle’s engine room.
Though more impressively he averaged 34.3 passes per match, the most of any player to have started at least six games, which have found teammates with a success rate of 80 percent. His ability to retain possession is a valuable asset to Newcastle who have the lowest average possession of any side in the Premier League, 39.4 percent, along with the third-lowest pass accuracy, 73.7 percent.
Another reason that it is imperative Bruce can convince the 19-year-old to extend his stay at St James’ Park, is that Newcastle have an average squad age of 27.4, with 12 of their squad members who have featured in the Premier League this season 28 or over.
The younger of the two Longstaff brothers involved in the first team is the only teenager to have featured for the Magpies this season, and in the future, he could be sold for at a significantly higher profit.
