Eddie Howe thinks he has won the battle to hand Sean Longstaff a new deal at Newcastle United. The midfielder will see his current deal expire at the end of the season after a long series of discussions with the club stalled since 2019.
Back then Longstaff's discussions with Steve Bruce broke down when the Toon boss is understood to have indicated to him that a move to Manchester United wasn't really on the cards despite initial enthusiasm from his agent.
Longstaff is believed to have other options on the table, but Howe is keen to hold on to the Academy product and hand him a lucrative four-year deal.
READ MORE: Eddie Howe drops hint on Newcastle United's summer spending plans and insists there is 'ambition'
Howe said today: "I expect a positive resolution for Sean, yeah. Fingers crossed. It’s very close to being done. I’m actually day-to-day in charge of that but fingers crossed we can get it over the line."
Longstaff burst on to the scene under Rafa Benitez in 2018 when he scrapped a proposed loan move to then League One Portsmouth and handed him a Premier League debut. Despite his ups and downs under Bruce, Longstaff survived at Newcastle and Howe has been eager to keep him motivated in the last few months knowing he can be a part of his plans moving forward.
Howe will also have a decision to make on Longstaff's younger brother Matty who will return to the club in July. Longstaff has been a hit at Mansfield Town and netted six goals to help the Stags reach the League Two play-offs.
