Newcastle United need to make their squad stronger rather than weaker during the January transfer window, so a new claim about Sean Longstaff is very confusing.

Just over a week in and Newcastle are finding the January transfer window very difficult. The club does not have much money to spend, despite Eddie Howe’s desire to add fresh faces to a squad that has been in need of a lift.

Profit and sustainability rules are stifling Newcastle’s desire to invest in new players, which is an issue that plenty of Premier League clubs are having to deal with.

One solution is to sell before you buy, which is what the Magpies did in the summer. Newcastle agreed to let Allan Saint-Maximin leave the club, with his departure providing the funding to get Tino Livramento through the door.

Now a new claim from journalist Alan Nixon has suggested that Newcastle could do it again in January.

Newcastle could sell Sean Longstaff

According to Nixon via his Patreon, Newcastle United are now willing to listen to offers for Sean Longstaff.

He states multiple clubs are monitoring the 26-year-old, who came through the Magpies’ academy and made his debut back when Rafa Benitez was manager.

In terms of financial fair play, cashing in on Sean Longstaff would make sense. That is because he is a product of the club, and a departure would therefore represent pure profit. No money was spent on him to bring him here – he joined as a kid and rose through the ranks.

It is the same type of logic that allowed Newcastle to sign Lewis Hall. He came through the Chelsea academy, so selling him made better business sense in terms of FFP than selling a player who they had previously bought.

The Magpies would be making a huge mistake selling Longstaff

But while it might make sense from a financial perspective, it would be a mistake from a football perspective.

Longstaff is a key player for the Magpies, and someone who Eddie Howe has described as a ‘leader’. When he plays well, Newcastle often play well. While he is not the most talented player at the club, he is so often the most important.

His energy in midfield makes him ideal for Howe, and he is part of a core of players who understand the club and uphold its standards everyday.

That is why, despite this report, it would be a huge shock if Newcastle were to sell Sean Longstaff right now.