Newcastle United need to buckle down on contracts

If rumors are to be believed, Newcastle United will have an 80 million pound budget for the summer if they secure survival. While that seems rather likely, things could always go south, so we won’t know until the end of the season. But what we do know, is you don’t need 80 million pounds to lock down both Sean and Matty Longstaff.

But Steve Bruce had stated earlier this week that the club and Matty Longstaff had reached an impasse in negotiations. Now that wouldn’t be so worrying if Longstaff wasn’t a target for major clubs such as Tottenham, and Manchester United. Multiple top clubs are just waiting to snatch him up on the cheap this summer if the club let his contract run out. in Matty's future. It sounds to me that Steve Bruce has effectively given up on retaining the young star.

“Obviously, he has got advisors who will be advising one thing,’ said Bruce. ‘I am desperate for him to stay but there has got to be ground given on both sides, I would have thought. But at the minute, we can’t get there.”

Either Bruce is truly terrible at negotiating with his players, or Matty has intended on leaving for some time now. I don’t doubt that much of the issue stems from Mike Ashley being willing to let up on wages for a younger player. However, anything offered to Longstaff would be a steal compared to what he could get elsewhere. Manchester United will pay him top dollar for someone his age, and other clubs can lure him with other incentives as well.

Newcastle United doesn’t have anything going for them other than being his hometown.

And you would think, modestly improved wages and the opportunity to remain in Newcastle is really all Matty and Sean need to be willing to remain with the club. Instead Mike Ashley, then Steve Bruce would rather take a wait and see approach and see if the player is willing to stay on their terms.

I don’t blame him for holding out for better terms. I’m just very disappointed that this could be the last season of Matty Longstaff with the club.