Newcastle United make Sean Steur loan decision as intriguing clause inserted in deal with Ajax

Sean Steur is set to get the chance to impress in pre-season and is set to be handed a Premier League squad number

Newcastle United new boy Sean Steur will join up with Eddie Howe’s first-team squad on July 13 after arriving in a deal worth a potential £23m from Ajax.

Fears that the 18-year-old will be loaned out, like a clutch of recent teen signings, have been dismissed and it is understood that Steur will be deemed a first-team squad player under Howe.

The Dutch youngster, who is a creative midfielder, is deemed as a player with high development potential and is not the replacement for Sandro Tonali who left for £100m to join Tottenham Hotspur at the start of the week.

Newcastle scouts have been regulars in the stands as Steur with the 2008-born player a regular in the Ajax side in the second half of the 2025/26 season. Notably, Steur scored the opener in a 1-1 draw in Rotterdam, a fierce clash with Feyenoord, to show he can cope with the big-game atmosphere.

With a string of Premier League and European sides keen on the 18-year-old, Newcastle sporting director Ross Wilson jetted out to the Netherlands to close the deal. The agreement was finalised yesterday as United stole a march on all their rivals with Wilson at the heart of the transfer talks.

Steur then touched down on Tyneside via a private jet at teatime last night and was going through the usual transfer formalities at the KNOX and St James’ Park.

The fee is made up of a £20m payment and around £3m in add-ons but Newcastle have also had to agree to a 12% sell on clause being inserted in the deal that took him from Amsterdam to Tyneside with Ajax set to benefit from any future sale.

Having made Steur their third signing of the summer, Newcastle will now hope to land a couple more stars before they jet out La Manga at the end of the month for an eight-day training camp, culminating with a friendly against Valencia at the Mestalla.

Newcastle are expected to crank up their bid for Swiss international Johan Manzambi, who is set to leave Bundesliga side SC Freiburg this summer, but know they face intense competition for young midfielder.

Before then, they will face friendly fixtures with Darlington behind closed doors, Gateshead (a) and Bristol City (a), with Steur expected to get his first taste of the Newcastle fans who will head in great numbers to both public fixtures.