Sean Longstaff tipped for Leeds United leadership role with 'absolute steal' verdict
The £15million arrival has been heavily involved in pre-season and impressed.
Former Leeds United striker Michael Bridges expects this summer’s £15million signing of Sean Longstaff to prove an ‘absolute steal’.
Leeds paid Newcastle United an initial £12m for Longstaff, with £3m in possible future add-ons, as Elland Road recruitment chiefs landed a top midfield target in time for their opening pre-season friendly against Manchester United. The 27-year-old has since featured in all three of his new club’s matches, including consecutive wins over SC Verl and Paderborn.
With more than 200 first-team appearances under his belt at boyhood club Newcastle, Longstaff boasts vast experience across the Premier League and Champions League, and as seems the desire in West Yorkshire this summer he’s entering his peak years. The energetic midfielder might not grab headlines like a marquee No.9 arrival but former Whites striker Bridges knows Farke has another leader at his disposal.
"I think it's an incredible signing,” he told Leeds Live. “I think that we're getting somebody that's coming to his peak to play in the midfield with that Premier League experience. He wasn’t a leader at Newcastle but he said he learned so much from being under the guidance of senior players.
“Now he’s coming into a much younger team, he said he's looking forward to a leadership role, which I thought was absolutely brilliant because he's a true professional. He looks after himself and he never, ever picked up a stink when he was out of favour at Newcastle.
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“He set down and he worked hard, you know he's a good lad and a good egg, and the coach - he’ll just fit in seamlessly. And when you've got that much experience in the Premier League. I just think that it's an absolute steal.”
Eddie Howe on Sean Longstaff’s Leeds United move
Leeds followed up Longstaff’s arrival with the £17.4m signing of Hoffenheim ball-winner Anton Stach, completing Farke’s second midfield evolution in as many summers. The pair round off a strong and versatile five-man group also including club captain Ethan Ampadu, the dependable Ilia Gruev and the technically outstanding Ao Tanaka.
Despite only starting eight Premier League games last season, Longstaff was still held in high regard at Newcastle with minutes only limited due to him competing with Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton. Even then, manager Eddie Howe admitted earlier this month he wanted to keep the Magpies academy graduate on board, suggesting his sale was PSR-related.
“Sean was someone I never wanted to lose from the squad,” Howe told The Chronicle. “But as we know, and I have said many times, finances, PSR, long-term planning mean that sometimes these decisions have to be taken. Sean is a big miss from our squad. Sean was very, very popular in the dressing room, very popular on the pitch.
“He did a great job and tactically understood everything that we needed him to do. Days like Celtic, when you are putting two XIs out, you really see his absence highlighted. He goes with our best wishes and he’s been an incredible servant to Newcastle. But we have to move on now without him.”