Sean Longstaff does not know if he’ll be offered a new contract at Newcastle United and has also been discussing the chaotic end to June’s PSR deadline and the reaction to Elliot Anderson’s sudden exit.
The 26-year-old is one of several Mags who is out of contract at the end of the 2024/25 season, as things stand, but it’s unclear if he’ll sign a new deal, leave on a free next summer or even depart if a good offer arrives over the next three weeks.
Speaking to The Chronicle, Longstaff admitted that it felt like “everyone had their price” as we pushed to raise funds in fear of a points deduction at the end of June, adding that the squad “were in shock” when Anderson departed for Nottingham Forest.
When asked if he’s expecting to sign a new deal, he said: “I don’t know. You’ll probably have to ask someone else. I just want to play football.
“I’ve been in Newcastle for a long time. So, for me, my goal since I was eight was to get another contract in Newcastle and that sort of mindset hasn’t changed. So, for me, it’s just about proving my worth to the team, to the manager, and what will be, will be.”
Longstaff then touched on the PSR panic at the end of June: “We’re not stupid, we’d seen all the stuff with financial fair play and who was on the table and who wasn’t on the table and stuff. I think at that point, the way it seemed, I think everyone sort of had their price and yeah, unfortunately for Elliot, the day after it was done, I think we were all in running together and he came in and you just sort of gave him a big hug.
“But hopefully he’s going to use it as a positive and yeah, maybe he’s not going to be seen as the young lad at Newcastle anymore and he’ll get a bit more respect for how good he is and hopefully for him he can kick on and have a really good season, just not against us.
“It was really disappointing (to lose Anderson), I think. Elliot was a massive part of our team, on the pitch, off the pitch. He was a massive part of it and I think when we we saw it, we were in shock.”
Asked if it crossed his mind if he could be sold amidst the PSR chaos at the end of June, he added: “Yeh, I think so. I mean, I don’t know how true the stuff was. I think each sort of situation is slightly different without getting too deep.
“So yeah, like I said, you’ve just got to focus on yourself and whatever happens, happens. And like I said, Elliot, unfortunately for us, was the one that had to go and yeah, for us, it’s just now about focusing on who’s here and having a really successful season here.”
Anderson’s exit was out of the blue but a much needed move to avoid a points deduction and major breach of FFP rules.
Hopefully the club learn from the mess we got ourselves in and learn from any mistakes made along the way. Ironically, I wouldn’t be shocked if Longstaff was the next victim of PSR, as he’s not only out of contract next summer – this could be the last chance we get to land a decent fee – but someone we can sell for ‘pure profit’ as an homegrown player.
