Newcastle United have table a new, improved, contract offer for Matty Longstaff, as they attempt to fend off interest from Serie A club Udinese.
The 20-year-old is the younger of the two Longstaff brothers, who are both seen as promising midfielders in Steve Bruce's Newcastle United side. Despite only making his senior debut for the club in August and playing just six times so far in the Premier League, Longstaff has impressed, scoring against Manchester United on two separate occasions this season.
His positive displays on Tyneside earned him a first ever England call-up in November, and he went on to play twice that month for the Young Lions' Under-20s side.
Newcastle United were originally planning to hike his weekly wage from £850 to £15,000, but Serie A outfit Udinese are said to have turned his head when they offered him £30,000 and a 'sizeable signing on fee.' If he accepted the move to Italy, he would become the club's highest paid player – ahead of Poland international Łukasz Teodorczyk and Italy striker Stefano Okaka.
As per a report by The Telegraph, Newcastle are afraid to lose their latest academy graduate and have upped their wage offerings, stating that they will instead pay him upward of £20,000.
Longstaff's Newcastle contract expires in late June, with the club set to earn a compensation total of just £400,000 if he were to leave the club for pastures new.
If he does choose to remain at St. James' Park, he will be earning more than his older brother.
Source: 90min
