An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Lennon Miller ahead of the January transfer window...

What's the talk?

According to The Sun, the Magpies are 'heading' the race to land the young central midfielder from Motherwell, although no other clubs are named in the piece.

The report claims that the Tyneside outfit have have been sending scouts to watch him in action up in Scotland, with the club now looking to bring him to St. James' Park.

There is no mention of how much it would cost to take him away from the Premiership side - after he signed a professional contract with them earlier this year.

Could axe Sean Longstaff

Swooping to sign Miller from Motherwell could allow Eddie Howe to drop one of the club's underperforming players from recent campaigns - Sean Longstaff.

In the last three full Premier League seasons, the midfielder has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.66 or lower - ranking 18th or lower within the Newcastle squad each time. This proves that he has been disappointing for a number of years as he has struggled to put in quality performances on a consistent basis.

The £50k-per-week dud also lost the majority of his individual duels, in the air and on the ground, during that time. This shows that he is a lightweight in the middle of the park as he is unable to impose himself on games with his physical presence.

In Miller, Newcastle could find a player to build up to taking Longstaff's place in the squad. The 16-year-old has shown great promise in his short career to date and could have the potential to develop into a first-team quality player for the Magpies.

He became a record-breaker as he made his first-team debut for Motherwell at the age of 16, becoming their youngest ever player in the process.

Miller's father, Lee, recently claimed that the youngster could have made his bow in Scottish football at an even younger age, had it been allowed. He said: 

“Lennon got great feedback from Stevie as well, he spoke really well of him. He said it wasn’t just a token gesture to play Lennon, which I know can happen. Sometimes players are just put on to make a statement, but Lennon has more than earned his right within the squad.

“Stevie also mentioned if the age restriction wasn’t there he would have made his debut at 15."

The former Scotland international went on to describe his son as a "great kid" and the Motherwell website states that he is a "technically gifted" and "level-headed" midfielder.

His emergence at such a young age highlights the potential that he has, as the Scottish team and Newcastle - given their interest in him - see a bright future for the teenager.

Therefore, the Magpies must bring him in and look to develop him with a view to eventually dropping the underperforming Longstaff in favour of the Scottish youth international if the youngster can kick on and make the step up to regular first-team football.