Leeds tempted by ‘really big’ Sean Longstaff offer
Leeds United will only let Sean Longstaff leave in January if a club makes an offer that is too good to refuse, sources have told Football Insider.
Longstaff's future at Elland Road has been called into question since the new campaign started.
The 28-year-old has only featured twice off the bench in the Whites' first five league games, with starts in successive Carabao Cup games.
He has been an unused substitute on three separate occasions so far, and Daniel Farke has challenged the midfielder to stake his claim to start.
Despite his lack of game time, Leeds are not planning to sell Longstaff in the next transfer window, as I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast.
Their plans could change if an interested club stumps up a sizeable fee for his services in the new year.
Sean Longstaff set for longer Leeds stay if nothing changes
Longstaff joined Leeds from Newcastle in 2025 to become a regular starter in the Premier League, but made fewer appearances (28) last term than in his final campaign on Tyneside (32).
He is unlikely to break into Farke's starting eleven ahead of his key midfielders anytime soon, but the Whites boss remains keen to keep his squad together for the time being.
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "I don't think Leeds would be willing to let Longstaff leave in January unless it was a really big offer that came in for him. Daniel Farke will want to keep hold of his squad, just as he wants to continue their fine start to the season.
"They're still unbeaten in the Premier League, and that's probably why it has proven difficult for Longstaff to pick up more minutes."
What has Farke said about Longstaff's situation at Leeds?
It is unclear whether Longstaff is content at Elland Road, with a breakthrough into Farke's side unlikely as the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Ao Tanaka and Anton Stach impress this season.
The Whites manager addressed Longstaff's lack of game time last month, setting out a challenge for him to prove that he deserves to play more.
He said: "Sean is a top guy, a top character, one of our most experienced players at this level, he has many, many Premier League games. He has the skill to influence the game with a goal or an assist, he has this natural instinct to be on the edge of the box and instinctively finish.
"Like all our players in this position, he has lots of competition, so he always has to be on it. Whenever he gets a chance, like in the cup, to shine it's important he grabs those chances, or when he comes on in a Premier League game.
"Every good performance there or in training extends your chances to be more involved and every poorer performance makes it more difficult. I don't play the guys I like most, or that are the most experienced or the nicest characters, I play what I think is beneficial for the team."