EXCLUSIVE: MACAULAY LANGSTAFF ATTRACTING INTEREST AS SUNDERLAND AND DERBY COUNTY KEEN
Notts County could now lose top goalscorer Macaulay Langstaff with Sunderland among the EFL clubs to take an interest in the striker.
Having just lost their manager, Notts County could be in for more bad new as HITC Football understands they face a battle to hang onto leading striker Macaulay Langstaff.
The Magpies saw their boss Luke Williams plucked away by Swansea City earlier this month and now their star forward could be on his way out too.
HITC Football has been told that Peterborough United are keen to land the 26-year-old to help bolster their promotion push from League One.
County will not let Langstaff leave cheaply though, and it is believed they want around £1.5million to let him go – something which few clubs will be able to afford this month.
Birmingham City, Sunderland and Derby County are also amongst those who have shown an interest, as have County’s League Two rivals Wrexham.
We also understand Hearts would be interested – if they lose Lawrence Shankland this month.
HITC Football understands that Celtic and Everton are among the clubs who like Shankland, so Hearts have eyed up Langstaff as a potential replacement.
Who is Notts County hitman Macaulay Langstaff?
Langstaff has been on quite the journey, starting out in the Middlesbrough ranks having been born in nearby Stockton on Tees.
Langstaff then featured in the ranks of local clubs Boro Rangers and Stockton Town before joining Billingham Synthonia as a teenager.
A spell with Gateshead – which saw him return to Billingham Synthonia and join Blyth Spartans on loan twice – didn’t really go anywhere, but Langstaff started to make progress with a 2018 switch to York City.
11 goals in 52 games saw Langstaff earn a move back to Gateshead in 2020, where he smashed 36 goals in 62 appearances.
Langstaff has barely stopped scoring since and hammered 42 goals in 48 games during the 2022-23 season having signed for Notts County.
Langstaff fired County back to the Football League and has now scored 21 goals in all competitions this season.
The last few years have been pretty astonishing for Langstaff, emerging as a late bloomer at 26 whilst earning comparisons to Jamie Vardy for his rise from non-league football.
Interest from Championship and League One clubs is no surprise and a return to the North East with Sunderland may be especially appealing, but Notts County will be desperate to keep Langstaff having just lost manager Williams.
