Credit: Imago
Wed 22 April 2026 15:40, UK
Sean Longstaff has very quickly become a fringe player at Leeds United.
And in all honesty, no one can quite put their finger on the reason why.
Having signed from Newcastle last summer, Longstaff hit the ground running with Leeds United, having contributed at both ends of the pitch.
In typical Leeds fashion, injury struck, and the Englishman was forced for a spell on the sidelines.
However, no one imagined Longstaff would find himself out of the team for this long, and it certainly suggests there is more to the story.
⚽Leeds United match day ⚽
Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every Leeds United fixture
Get 24/7 updates from your definitive Whites source
What has happened to Sean Longstaff?
The former Newcastle man was getting big goals and creating chances for fun before his injury, but since then, his involvement has been minimal.
Despite having been available for all of them, Longstaff has played just 12 minutes of football in Leeds’ last seven Premier League games.
Premier League stats per 90LongstaffPremier League ranking for midfieldersChances created2.18Top 7.2%Big chances created0.57Top 3.6%Successful crosses2.27Top 3.6%Duels won6.06Top 21.5%Tackles3.50Top 7.2%
And for his last start in the top flight, you have to go all the way back to November, when he featured in a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa.
His quality was on show almost every week, and for him to have suddenly become a fringe player at best is baffling to say the least.
It isn’t an issue with his ability, but his lack of inclusion certainly begs the question as to what the real issue actually is.
Longstaff exit could well and truly be on the cards
To go from featuring regularly for a side competing for Champions League football to becoming a squad player at a side battling against relegation will not have been the path that Longstaff had mapped out.
But for him, things could get even worse this summer.
The Whites will almost certainly be in the market to strengthen their midfield, and with the Englishman already seemingly surplus to requirements, an exit can’t be ruled out.
It would be a very strange turn of events given how much he has to offer, but it may be a realistic outcome.