Alan Shearer warns Matty Longstaff moving to Udinese from Newcastle would be a huge risk despite bumper deal

I’M struggling to get my head around Matty Longstaff’s situation at Newcastle.

If he leaves at the end of his contract it will be a great shame because he’s a local boy and you don’t know what’s around the corner with the looming takeover.

Newcastle United’s Matty Longstaff could be set to swap the Toon for Udinese in Italy

For someone who has started just six league games, it would be a huge gamble to move to Udinese and I really hope it doesn’t backfire for him.

If the figures we’re hearing are correct then Newcastle have put a very good offer on the table.

I understand their stance because you’ve got a 20-year-old who has not played much and wasn’t even in the equation at the beginning of the season.

They feel they’ve offered him a lot of money, with increases going up and up each year, which he or his agent clearly doesn’t think is enough.

And if Longstaff has already agreed to move, there’s little more they can do.

I’m sure there is more behind it than we may know but it’s a big risk for a local boy to leave the area and his football club for a team in Italy that could be relegated.

The Pozzo family own both Udinese and Watford, so I have seen that he could eventually end up there — but even so, it’s difficult to understand.

Longstaff must have his individual reasons as to why he is choosing to leave his club.

He’s got the talent but hasn’t stamped his authority yet to be able to say, ‘I want a regular first-team spot’.

We’ve seen glimpses of it but to leave having left no legacy at all at your boyhood club would be a real shame — especially with exciting times potentially on the way.

If he sees himself down the pecking order then it’s up to him to make himself first choice.

If you’ve got the belief in your ability then you will turn that around and you will eventually become a regular starter.

There’s still a little bit of hope he will stay but it’s sounding increasingly unlikely now – and what a shame both for Longstaff and Newcastle United.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk