Steve Bruce has admitted Newcastle plan to loan out Matty Longstaff with Championship trio Nottingham Forest, West Brom and Sheffield United interested, speaking to the Northern Echo.
It’s almost two years since the youngest of the Longstaff brothers exploded on to the Premier League stage with a dramatic winner against Manchester United at a bouncing St James’ Park. His performance catapulted the home-grown midfielder into the limelight.
At the time, Longstaff was expected to follow sibling Sean into the first-team picture, the prospect of two North Shields-born brothers starting together at the heart of Newcastle’s midfield warming the hearts of the Toon Army.
But while Sean has struggled to build on an outstanding 2018/19 season – it seems a long time ago he was being linked with a £50 million move to Old Trafford – Matty, too, has found life difficult under Steve Bruce.
The 21-year-old hasn’t played a single minute of first-team football this season.
And with Newcastle looking to bring in another midfielder before the transfer deadline, Hamza Choudhury and Boubacar Kamara are just two of the targets, Longstaff might benefit from a loan spell away from his boyhood club.
West Brom one of many clubs eyeing loan move for Longstaff
“(A loan is) something we’ve decided might be best for Matty,” said Bruce. “I’ve had that conversation with him.
“We’ll see in the next week, but we’ve had one or two inquiries. We’re hoping something will happen with him in the next couple of days.”
According to the Northern Echo, Championship sides Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest have both made offers for Longstaff, while Huddersfield Town and Blackburn Rovers have also expressed an interest.
Blackburn have a superb record when it comes to developing precocious young talent too, with Harvey Elliott, Jarrad Branthwaite and Taylor Harwood-Bellis impressing on loan at Ewood Park.
West Brom is another potential destination for Longstaff.
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