Macaulay Langstaff back to Notts County would be 'welcomed' - on one transfer condition | OneFootball

FLW's Notts County fan pundit has given his verdict on whether the club should explore a deal for Millwall striker Macaulay Langstaff this summer.

Notts County are preparing for life back in League One after winning promotion from League Two.

For the second consecutive season, Notts County missed out on automatic promotion on the final day of the campaign as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Bristol Rovers, although even a victory would not have been enough to overhaul Cambridge United.

The Magpies responded well to the frustration of falling short of a place in the top three as they beat local rivals Chesterfield 1-0 on aggregate in their play-off semi-final, with Jayden Luker's strike in the first leg at the SMH Group Stadium settling what was an incredibly tight tie.

However, while their semi-final was a nervy affair, it was a dominant display from Notts in the final at Wembley as they demolished Salford City 3-0 on Monday afternoon, with goals from Alassana Jatta, Lucas Ness and Jodi Jones securing the club's return to League One for the first time since 2015.

It is likely to be an exciting summer at Meadow Lane as the Magpies look to strengthen their squad for the third tier, and as supporters speculate about possible transfer targets, the name of one former fan favourite may be on the minds of many.

Notts County verdict issued on potential Macaulay Langstaff return

Striker Macaulay Langstaff joined Notts County from Gateshead in the summer of 2022, and he went on to score 70 goals and provide 11 assists in 96 games for the club, while he was also part of the squad that won promotion from the National League.

After a prolific two-year spell with the Magpies, Langstaff made the move to Championship side Millwall in the summer of 2024 for a fee of £700,000 plus add-ons, but he has scored just five goals in 76 appearances for the Lions so far, and his future at The Den looks uncertain as the transfer window approaches.

When asked if the club should consider bringing Langstaff back following promotion, FLW's Notts County fan pundit Gareth Parr claimed that the 29-year-old would be keen on a return to Meadow Lane, but he admitted that any deal would depend on whether he fits into the owners' model.

"Macaulay Langstaff is loved by the Notts crowd, and he loves the Notts environment," Gareth told FLW.

"When he first left for Millwall, he was constantly seen at Meadow Lane following and supporting the club.

"Apparently he was at Wembley yesterday for the play-off final, he was also in the Notts fan zone mixing with the crowd.

"I'm going to sound as boring as one of Martin Paterson's pressers, but it will come down to the numbers and the statistics.

"The fans love players like James Belshaw and David McGoldrick, those are two prime examples.

"Belshaw had a history with the club, but the numbers also worked, and he fit into the model.

"Whereas with McGoldrick, as much as the fans loved him, and there were those that said the owners should spend any amount of money to keep him there, it didn't fit with their formula.

"While I think Langstaff would be welcomed back with open arms, I think it will all come down to the financial package that can go around him.

"I'm sure he would love to come back, Notts seems to breed this kind of family environment among the players where they would do anything for the club.

"I'm sure he would relish coming back to link up with the likes of Jodi Jones, Alassana Jatta and Matt Palmer again.

"Notts could be looking for someone, there seems to have been something up with Matthew Dennis in the last three or four months.

"After his initial great form of 14 goals, he's hardly scored again since and hardly taken part.

Notts County may face Macaulay Langstaff dilemma involving Alassana Jatta

Given his outstanding first spell at the club, many Notts County supporters would no doubt love to see Langstaff back at Meadow Lane one day, and it seems the striker also still holds plenty of affection for his former employers.

However, it is fair to say that the Magpies have not missed Langstaff too much since his departure two years ago, with Jatta stepping up in his absence to fire the club to promotion to League One this season after another prolific campaign that saw him score 15 goals, including the opener in the play-off final.

After Langstaff's struggle for game time at Millwall, he will likely seek guarantees of regular minutes if he leaves The Den this summer, but with Jatta firmly established as the main man at Notts, it remains to be seen whether he would fit into the team, particularly as Paterson typically only deploys one striker.