Report: Steve Bruce wants new contracts for five Newcastle players

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Steve Bruce is looking to keep his Newcastle squad together.

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce wants to hand new contracts to Martin Dubravka, Isaac Hayden, Matt Ritchie, Jonjo Shelvey and Sean Longstaff.

The Magpies have been quiet in the transfer market, having endured a turbulent summer which saw Rafael Benitez and Ayoze Perez leave the club.

Bruce is in as manager, and whilst the focus will be on signing players before next week’s transfer deadline, he’s also looking to keep a host of players.

Bruce wants Dubravka, Hayden, Ritchie, Shelvey and Longstaff signed up to new long-term contracts, and the club must now decide whether to accept his demands.

All five players have, remarkably, been linked away in recent times. RMC Sport claim Paris Saint-Germain want goalkeeper Dubravka, whilst Hayden has been seeking a move back down south for a year now (Chronicle).

Ritchie was told he could leave back in April according to The Sun, The Northern Echo claim Shelvey has been a West Ham target, and Manchester United are willing to offer £30million for Longstaff according to The Mirror.

Keeping all five would be a major boost, especially as Shelvey, Ritchie and Hayden are all inside the final two years of their contracts, and Dubravka and Longstaff are wanted by massive clubs.

Newcastle must now decide whether all five are worth keeping long-term, as Bruce wants, with the new boss seeking backing in his view of these players.