Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff looks set to stay at St James Park for the first half of the 2018/19 season as Portsmouth are ready to give up on trying to take him on loan, according to The Chronicle.
The newspaper claim that the Magpies had agreed a deal in principle with the League One side about loaning them their highly-rated 20-year-old but the midfielder’s continued impressive performances in pre-season could see him stay where he is for the time being.
The Chronicle report that with Rafa Benitez losing hope that he is about to sign a new No.10 this summer and with Isaac Hayden’s Magpies future being uncertain then the Spanish manager simply can’t sanction Longstaff’s exit.
It was previously reported by Chronicle that Portsmouth had seen off competition from the Championship to win the race to loan Longstaff for six-months however it now seems he could find himself playing in the Premier League shortly.
OPINION
While the 20-year-old midfielder has impressed, it seems a shame that his move to Portsmouth looks to be off the cards. Longstaff would have regularly featured for the League One side and a temporary move would have greatly helped his development. The News, a local newspaper in Portsmouth, stated that Longstaff was being earmarked for an attacking role in Kenny Jackett’s team and it’s very likely that he could have taken League One by storm for them if they had successfully acquired his signature. It’s unlikely that Longstaff will get many minutes in Benitez’s side in the first half of the upcoming season unless the club find itself depleted of midfield options for one reason or another. The highly-rated youngster may be one to watch for the future, particularly after dazzling in pre-season this summer, but it’s hard to imagine him coping with playing in the Premier League at this stage of his career.
