OPINION
Newcastle United are reportedly set to agree a new deal with academy midfielder Sean Longstaff, who is slowly making his way into first-team contention.
As reported by the Chronicle, the Magpies are close to striking a new long-term contract with the 20-year-old, who made his senior debut earlier this season against Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup.
The club are said to have been aware of increasing interest in Longstaff from Europe, with clubs in Germany, France and Spain all said to be keeping tabs on the situation.
Tying Longstaff down to this new deal is obviously a sensible move, and one that is hugely positive for the club, but it must be followed up with further action.
The 20-year-old has been on the fringes of the first-team this season, but his debut in the League Cup has not been followed by any follow-up appearances as of yet.
Longstaff has been on the bench for three Premier League games, but none of those led to any minutes, despite the Magpies not being particularly impressive in midfield this term.
The preferred holding pair of Jonjo Shelvey and Mohamed Diame have had some good games together, but Diame in particular has also been poor in many.
Results have not been positive at all either, with Rafa Benitez’s men one of three teams in the division without a win in their first eight games, and that surely means that some changes need to be made eventually.
A home clash against Brighton this weekend is a promising fixture, but should they come out of that with anything other than a win, then the rarely-seen Longstaff surely must earn his chance.
It is all well and good the club handing him a long-term deal, but they need to show him that he is a valued member of their squad and give him the tools to reach his potential.
That involves playing as much first-team football as possible, and Longstaff has shown so far that he is good enough for that.
