Newcastle United suspect that Matty Longstaff could end up at rivals Watford if he decided to join Udinese for free. Longstaff is out of contract at Newcastle after the to be continued campaign and has rejected a contract extension.
Matty Longstaff is linked with a move to Serie A as Udinese are offering to make him the highest earner at the club. His transfer would cost the Friulians around £450,000 in compensation. The fee for a move to another Premier League will be settled by a tribunal.
Longstaff wants to stay at Newcastle but he rejected a £15,000-per-week deal last season. According to SportsMail, the Magpies have offered the 20-year-old youngster an improved deal of £20,000 per week but the player wants an amount closer to £25,000. It is being claimed that the Serie A outfit are offering him a five-year contract with £30,000 per week in wages.
Watford and Serie A club Udinese have the same owners – the Pozzo family. The Pozzo family has previously shuffled players among these clubs and the Magpies are afraid it could happen again. Udinese would sign the player and then he will be sent out on loan to Watford before making the loan deal permanent. In this way, Longstaff could end up playing for Watford next season.
However, it is yet to be confirmed and Newcastle’s change of ownership could change his situation. Various other clubs like Inter Milan and Marseille have also been linked with the 20-year-old youngster but Udinese reports are more genuine than the others. If the move to Watford happens, the Magpies could miss out on millions for Longstaff. This would raise further questions about the club’s management.
