Premier League side Newcastle United have offered midfielder Sean Longstaff a new four-year deal to remain at St James' Park beyond the summer, according to a report from The Times.

Making 21 league appearances this term, the 24-year-old has been a semi-regular figure for Steve Bruce and successor Eddie Howe this term, though some of these displays have come from the bench.

And with the Magpies potentially spending big in the summer again as they look to challenge at the right end of the top-tier table, that left the midfielder's future in doubt with his current terms on Tyneside expiring at the end of the campaign.

Football League World revealed back in February that West Bromwich Albion were monitoring his current situation up north ahead of a potential approach in the summer, with Bruce already working with Longstaff before.

The 61-year-old has already admitted that he will be looking to make use of the free-agent market this summer with the Baggies spending £7m on Daryl Dike in the summer and needing to remain within the EFL's financial rules.

But unless they can persuade Longstaff to reject fresh terms at St James' Park, the second-tier side look set to miss out on the midfielder with the Magpies offering him a four-year extension that would keep him at the club until 2026.

The Verdict:

Albion will have plenty of other targets to pursue so if this deal fails to materialise for them, then they can always move on to others and in fairness, Joe Rothwell would probably be a better option at this stage with his three goals and ten assists this season.

Longstaff may have top-flight pedigree and that could benefit a side that will want to get back to the highest level at the second time of asking next season - but they need more goals in their team with the Baggies failing to impress in the final third this season.

Dike may help them - but they will need more goal contributors and this is where Rothwell would fit in perfectly - helping to add to their goal tally alongside the likes of Karlan Grant, Callum Robinson and Alex Mowatt.

Mowatt may be a goalscorer in the middle of the park - but he hasn't hit the heights he managed to last season and this is why another option coming in can only help their cause - with another target in John Swift potentially moving to the top tier.

Nonetheless, you certainly wouldn't turn Longstaff down, though it remains to be seen whether they could still get this deal over the line with no chance of them being promoted at the end of 2021/22 now.