Leeds United Closing In On This Newcastle United Midfielder: What He Would Offer Under Farke | OneFootball

If a recent report from The Athletic is believed to be true, Leeds United are closing in on Sean Longstaff, as they aim to bolster their midfield in the summer window. The Whites have tabled a bid of around £12m for the Newcastle United star, and the Tynesiders are likely to accept the offer rather than losing him for nothing next year.

The 27-year-old Englishman progressed through the Magpies’ academy ranks before completing successive loan stints with Kilmarnock and Blackpool to gain first-team experience. Since being integrated into the senior squad, Longstaff has made 214 senior appearances for his boyhood club, including 32 games from their EFL Cup-winning 2024-25 season.

Why Longstaff Is On The Move

However, he found himself down the pecking order behind Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Joe Willock and Sandro Tonali under Eddie Howe. The majority of his Premier League outings were from the bench, and the Geordies’ chief did not involve him at all against Liverpool in their historic League Cup final win at Wembley. The rise of Lewis Miley makes him surplus to requirements at St James’ Park, and Howe, therefore, must not stand in the way when he has an opportunity to start afresh in West Yorkshire.

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 17: Sean Longstaff of Newcastle United is seen in midair as he watches his shot as Kalvin Phillips of Leeds United looks on during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Leeds United at St. James Park on September 17, 2021, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Why Leeds United Are Chasing The Englishman

Leeds United conquered the Championship crown en route to reclaiming their top-flight status. Daniel Farke maintained his marvellous promotion record, but he should find the right balance to escape relegation, unlike his tenure with Norwich City.

Farke utilised his contacts and connections in Germany to recruit Ao Tanaka and Ilia Gruev. They paired up deep down the midfield as the ‘double pivot’ and the skipper, Ethan Ampadu, often slotted in as a ‘number six’, showcasing his versatility. Joe Rothwell, too, played his part in their promotion push, but the Bournemouth loanee has now completed a permanent transfer to Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

Rothwell’s departure leaves a void already in the centre of the pitch, and trusting Tanaka and Gruev week in and week out would be a gamble, given their lack of Premier League experience. While the signings of central defensive duo Sebastiaan Bornauw and Jaka Bijol could allow Ampadu to feature in midfield more frequently, Longstaff’s reputation in the top tier of English football should see him secure a regular status ahead of their current options.

Longstaff has shown his flexibility in various midfield roles, and his composure, calmness, vision, distribution and technical traits would help him fit into Farke’s free-flowing game. It remains to be seen now whether Longstaff is deployed from the deep in case the gaffer sticks to his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.