Lee Ryder has hinted that Matty Longstaff would accept a weekly wage of £25,000 a week to stay at Newcastle.
What’s the story?
As it stands, the 19-year-old has less than six months left on his contract at Newcastle, and he has even been linked with a move to either Inter Milan or AC Milan.
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However, not only has Ryder said that interest is “nothing more than observation of the contract situation unravelling quickly on Tyneside”, he has revealed that Longstaff would have accepted “even half” of the “around £50,000 per week” Boubakary Soumare may have taken home had he made the switch to St James’ Park.
Not too much considering his impact
Longstaff may only be new to the side, but he has already made an impact on Steve Bruce’s side in defensive midfield. Despite playing in a deeper role in a team that has averaged just 39.4% per Premier League game so far this term, he has managed three goals in 11 appearances to date.
It is worth asking how Newcastle have even allowed this situation to arise – here is a player who is clearly talented, yet they are in danger of letting him go for free. Considering he is already a part of the first-team squad, that salary would not be too high considering that 15 players in that first-team squad currently earn more than £25,000-a-week.
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Time is ticking, and Newcastle really must look to resolve this issue as soon as possible. Bruce is actually doing a good job in terms of results on Tyneside – they are currently 12th in the Premier League table, whilst they are also through to the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since 2006. Whilst the football may have been disappointing at times – they have averaged just 9.9 shots per game this term, the second-worst in the top flight – a bit more investment may make this team more exciting. Keeping players like Longstaff, though, is vital to the side’s development – they should give him exactly what he wants.
Meanwhile, Valentino Lazaro’s agent reveals his stance on staying permanently at Newcastle.