Udinese to make Matty Longstaff their highest-paid player should he leave Newcastle – but he could end up back in Premier League with Watford
Udinese are still extremely interested in signing Matty Longstaff from Newcastle United, but he could end up at Watford.
The 20-year-old midfielder will be out of contract at St James' Park when the current season eventually ends, and his possible availability has put a host of top clubs on alert.
Internazionale of Milan and Marseille have retained an interest in the player, but Serie A side Udinese seems to be his most likely destination.
Although Longstaff is still keen on the idea of staying with the Magpies, delays to talks have forced him to look elsewhere and consider his options.
According to the , Udinese are still keen on making Longstaff their highest paid player on a £30,000-a-week deal, but he could well end up playing at Vicarage Road next season.
The relationship between Watford and Udinese comes with both clubs owned by members of the Pozzo family, and the Hornets have previously benefited by bringing in players on loan from their sister club.
Watford signing Longstaff directly from Newcastle would incur a huge compensation package which could total millions of pounds for the England Under-20 star, but it would be far smaller were he to move to Italy.
The idea would be for La Zebrette to loan Longstaff to the Hornets at first, before he completed a permanent transfer somewhere down the line.
According to the Watford Observer report, some 'representatives' on Tyneside consider Longstaff's future to be destined for Watford rather than Udine.
Until Newcastle's takeover is given the green light by the Premier League, the situation remains the same and Longstaff seems unlikely to play for the Magpies again.