Newcastle United midfielder Matty Longstaff is expected to secure a late window transfer away from St James’ Park, amid a raft of loan interest from English Football League teams.
Matty Longstaff expected to seal Newcastle loan exit amid EFL interest
According to Chronicle Live, Newcastle United gem Matty Longstaff is expected to secure a late window deal to join an EFL side on loan. Eddie Howe is eager to see the 22-year-old go out on a temporary transfer to further his development after a stuttered season last term.
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Longstaff spent the first-half of the 2021/22 campaign in Scotland with Aberdeen, but only amassed four appearances. A switch to Mansfield Town in January would see the Magpies product enjoy more chances on a pitch, making 18 appearances with the League Two club.
Mansfield would also reach the play-offs with Longstaff in the side, but lost to Port Vale in the final. The Toon talent enjoyed just over an hour during the Wembley tie, and had also scored six goals while offering two assists during his 16 regular-season fourth-tier outings.
Yet while Longstaff provided a creative threat in League Two, the former England U20 gem did not secure one set position. He enjoyed seven appearances as a central midfielder, two as a holding anchor and two as an attacking midfielder, plus seven games at right midfield.
Game time dilemma may be behind delay in securing loan transfer
Longstaff struck the net four times during his outings as an out-and-out central midfielder, along with twice from the flank. Howe will likely hope whichever option Newcastle accept for a loan transfer this summer would see Longstaff enjoy a consistent run from one area.
It could be the game time dilemma that has delayed Longstaff and Newcastle securing him a loan transfer, amid the raft of EFL interest his displays at Mansfield have since attracted. The Rotherham-born prospect was always a central option at St James’ under Steve Bruce.
Only during a Carabao Cup game with Leicester City in August 2019 did Bruce not field the midfielder in a central position. It was also his potential in the engine room that convinced Bruce to afford Longstaff his Premier League debut at home to Manchester United in 2019.
Longstaff would additionally score a sensational winning goal against the Red Devils on his top-flight bow. Also showing the defensive skill his elder brother, Sean, would then praise.
“We both like to get after the ball and, for me, I think it was about not letting my brother down on this stage,” Sean told Chronicle Live in October 2019. “He was buzzing about it, and buzzing about tackling people! It’s amazing really, it’s given the place a really big lift.
“It is about finding the balance about wanting to help him and also letting him go out there and play. There’s a reason why the manager has him up with us. He’s been brilliant in training every day. He has the quality and the composure.
“You could see against Man United just a minute into the game he was pinging diagonal balls from 40 or 50 yards. It’s great to see because he breeds confidence around the team.”
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