Leeds United told £10m could be enough to sign Everton target with 170 Premier League appearances
Leeds United are keen to add Premier League experience this summer.
Leeds United could be set to rival Everton in the race for Sean Longstaff this summer as fresh reports surrounding the Newcastle United midfielder emerge.
Longstaff appears to have been on the radar of Elland Road chiefs for some time, with reports ahead of last summer’s transfer window linking him with a move to Leeds. The 27-year-old had been a regular starter at St James’ Park in recent years but a raft of elite-level signings has seen him drop down the pecking order, with 16 of his 24 Premier League appearances coming from the bench.
As such, the midfielder could look to leave his boyhood club this summer and Leeds’ promotion has seen links resurface, with The Sun now claiming they will rival Everton for the Newcastle man’s signature. The report suggests Toffees boss David Moyes has made Longstaff a ‘top target’ this summer as he plans to overhaul the current squad.
But there will be ‘fierce competition’ from Leeds, who look set for a busy summer recruiting for their top-flight return. Farke is thought to be keen on adding Premier League experience, something Longstaff certainly boasts with 170 appearances in the division and a handful of games in the Champions League.
Notably, another recent report from The i names Longstaff as a possible summer target, citing the midfielder as an example of Farke’s ‘battle-hardened’ desires and 49ers Enterprises’ data-led approach matching up. Newcastle are expected to want around £10million for Longstaff, who will enter the final 12 months of his Magpies deal this summer and has spoken candidly on his future this season.
Sean Longstaff’s Newcastle United future admission amid Leeds United links
"Yeah, if it’s here [Newcastle] it’s great. If it’s not, it’s not,” Longstaff said on his future in November. "I want to be valued as a player, I want to be appreciated as a player and whether it’s here, great. If it’s not here and it’s somewhere else, it’ll be somewhere else.
“In a way I live day to day, game to game and I just try and take in every game. I get to go to work every day and spend it with my best friends, I don’t know what’s coming ahead. I don’t know what’s coming down the line, I just try to embrace every day and enjoy every minute because ultimately it won’t last forever.”
Newcastle are expected to spend big once again this summer as they recruit for what is hoped to be a Champions League return. Longstaff is already behind the likes of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton in the middle of the park, with further midfield reinforcements likely to push him further down the pecking order.
“His long-term future is slightly more unclear,” Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said of Longstaff last month. "But what I can say is that behind the scenes, Sean has been very good, helping the group, training to a high level and I cannot speak highly enough of him as a person.”
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