Newcastle United are reportedly set to open discussions with midfield stars Joelinton and Sean Longstaff over a potential contract extension.
Although midfield pair Sean Longstaff and Joelinton are both contracted to St. James’ Park until 2025, Newcastle United are keen to lock down their futures and reward them for their fine form since Eddie Howe’s arrival on Tyneside, according to TEAMtalk.
Newcastle’s rapid transformation on the pitch since their Saudi takeover and Eddie Howe’s arrival has been impressive. They secured their return to Champions League football last season before picking up where they left off in the current campaign after a slight early-season slump.
They have returned to their rampant best and put in a stellar showing to secure a remarkable 4-1 victory over French champions Paris Saint-Germain in their first Champions League home match in 20 years on Wednesday. But the way that they have improved as a club off the pitch must also be commended.
The Magpies are no longer losing star players to rival clubs or missing out on their top targets. Instead, it could be argued that St. James’ Park is one of the best places to be in the Premier League. The Newcastle hierarchy are now looking to hand a flurry of contract extensions to existing stars to note their importance, maintain dressing-room vibes, and fend off outside interest in their prized assets.
Recent reports have suggested key playmaker Bruno Guimaraes is now all set to put pen to paper on a new long-term deal until 2028 and become the highest-paid player in the history of the club.
Apart from Bruno, the Magpies are looking to hand extensions to a pair of fellow midfield stars who played a pivotal role in the recent success of the Tyneside-based outfit, and their names are Sean Longstaff and Joelinton.
Howe knows that he needs a core of quality players whom he can trust to deliver consistently. And, the aforementioned midfield duo have both been mainstays in his starting XI and surely one of those players that Howe can trust to deliver a job in the midfield on any given day.
Joelinton, for one, first arrived at St. James’ Park as a marquee £40 million striker signing from Hoffenheim back in 2019. His life at the Tyneside had a start to forget, with the Brazilian international quickly becoming a figure of mockery in the Premier League.
However, things have changed for the 27-year-old under Howe, who transformed him into a midfield destroyer rather than a misfiring forward. Joelinton went on to be named Newcastle’s player of the season in 2021/22 and has become an instrumental part of Newcastle’s success, clocking up a total of 157 appearances to date.
Longstaff, meanwhile, does not get the praise he deserves. Yes, he is not a flashy name on the team sheet. But with him in the starting XI, Newcastle’s midfield plays with more freedom and has more balance to it. The Englishman does the dirty work, which means he goes unnoticed and is subsequently an easy target for scapegoating when things don’t go as planned.
He attains a fantastic ability to read the game too, allowing him to break up the game, as shown throughout the PSG game. He breaks down the opposition attacks by cutting passing lanes, forcing them into alleys where the ball is easier to win.
