Newcastle United are working to complete a deal for Sean Steur from Ajax.The proposed deal for the 18-year-old consists of a fee in the region of €25million.The player has already said goodbye to players and staff at Ajax ahead of the anticipated move.Ajax want Steur to stay but the highly-rated midfielder has entered the final two years of his contract, and there is no indication of him renewing, meaning the Eredivisie club may have to reluctantly make a sale.Steur began the season in Ajax’s youth side, which plays in the second tier of Dutch football, but broke into the first team during the campaign. He ended the 2025-26 season with 25 first-team appearances.Newcastle have already seen Sandro Tonali depart for Tottenham Hotspur in a deal that could be worth up to £100million ($133m). There is also interest from Arsenal in his central midfield partner from last season, Bruno Guimaraes, whose World Cup journey with Brazil ended on Sunday, though Newcastle have strongly insisted he is not for sale.
The Athletic reported on Tuesday Newcastle are continuing to work on a deal for Freiburg’s 20-year-old midfielder Johan Manzambi, and are prioritising a move for the Switzerland international, who has impressed at this summer’s World Cup.Steur has played 26 times for Ajax’s first team after making his debut in February 2025. He is a graduate of Ajax’s famed academy, which has seen players such as Jorrel Hato, Jurrien Timber and Brian Brobbey move on to bigger sides in Europe in recent years, and has featured for the Netherlands age groups up to the under-19s level.‘An astute move’Analysis from Newcastle correspondent Chris WaughNewcastle’s approach this summer has seen them sell two key players, both of whom wanted to move on, for maximum market value and then look to reinvest in younger quality players with significant growth potential.Steur certainly fits into that bracket, at the extreme end of it. There would be an element of Steur being a ‘project player’ to a degree, given he is only 18 and needs to mature physically, yet the upside of the deal feels huge because the midfielder is extremely highly rated and has been on the radar of several top clubs.Although Steur is not an exact like-for-like replacement for Tonali, as the Italian’s profile is unique, he would take the departed midfielder’s place in the squad. Lewis Miley, 20, is likely to be given an opportunity to assert himself as first-choice No 6, which means Steur will probably compete for a place in the side initially while developing.Steur is two-footed, has an element of press resistance in his play and can play deeper or more advanced in midfield. There is a feeling he has all the attributes to excel in the Premier League.Newcastle may be reducing the amount of experience and top-level proven performers within their squad, but UEFA’s financial restrictions mean they must plan sustainability for the long term and acquiring Steur as a teenager looks like it would be an astute move.Jul 7, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
