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Newcastle United’s 2025 close season brought the pain of losing one star player to a domestic rival, so what must it feel like to lose two?

A great deal has already been written about the high-profile exits from Tyneside. The gloom and pessimism were always going to follow. Over the past year, not only have Alexander Isak, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes departed, but last season’s leading scorer across all competitions, Anthony Gordon, has gone as well, along with Eddie Howe, the man who guided Newcastle to their first domestic trophy in 70 years.

Even so, that has shifted focus away from the players coming in, especially one comparatively unknown 18-year-old from Ajax: Sean Steur.

A new central midfielder with only 25 senior appearances was never likely to set pulses racing, particularly when arriving in an area of the pitch recently vacated by two players many consider worthy of world-class status.

Unlike his only slightly more experienced fellow midfield recruit Aladji Bamba, Steur has already been judged by some as a squad rotation option. His signing, worth up to £23 million on a five-year contract, has instead been seen as evidence of a smarter transfer strategy, with the club now acting proactively to secure young talent with one eye on the future.

Yet, based on what he has already produced in his brief career and the obvious ceiling he possesses, there is a case to be made that Steur is ready for first-team football immediately.

Few all-round central midfielders have broken into Ajax’s first team this century and looked better than Frenkie de Jong. The Barcelona midfielder may have had injury troubles in recent years, but when fit he is still viewed as one of the finest midfielders in the world. So if Ajax youth coaches were describing Steur as the next De Jong, that is something worth paying serious attention to.

The reasons behind those comparisons, and the view of Steur as Ajax’s brightest emerging talent since the player Steur himself calls his idol, are many. As you would expect from someone developed through the Ajax system, Steur is technically outstanding. Some footballers immediately look as though they belong with a ball at their feet, and he is one of them. That is not only because of the confidence he showed as a 10-year-old by doing more than 2,000 kick-ups before a match at the Johan Cruijff Arena.

A two-footed passer, Steur can glide forward quickly because of his ability to carry the ball, and for a player of his height he changes direction sharply. Like De Jong, he consistently plays with his head up and can either slow the game down or speed it up. Although he made his debut under Francesco Farioli during the 24/25 season, it was not really until the middle of last season that Steur became a regular in the first team.

That makes the Opta numbers even more striking. Among midfielders who began the season aged 18 or younger in the Eredivisie, Steur ranked first for chances created and ball carries, and second for passing accuracy and total passes. He also placed first for duel success and second for tackles and possession wins. Those latter figures point to an aspect of De Jong’s game that is often overlooked, and one Steur has also shown signs of possessing: the ability to cover ground and disrupt opposition attacks. Notably, despite spending such a limited period in the first team, he finished as Ajax’s third-ranked player for pass completion in the opposition half, underlining his capacity to play penetrative attacking passes, much like De Jong. On that basis, it is no surprise that Steur reads the game so well, with a natural understanding of space that may look simple but certainly is not.

Even if he is still new to this level, Steur has already shown that he can conduct his own Dutch orchestra, just like his idol.

It is wise never to place too much emphasis on pre-season, but a recent line of praise from The Chronicle about Steur is revealing: “Looks to be playing above his tender years.”

Among the many reasons Ajax were reluctant to part with such a highly rated midfielder, Steur’s maturity and self-belief stood out. In terms of atmosphere and pressure, there are few matches more intense than De Klassieker between Ajax and Feyenoord. Back in 2009, the mayors of Amsterdam and Rotterdam even reached an agreement with the KNVB to stop away supporters from attending these fixtures, and that ruling remains in place today. At only 17, Steur started in that match-up and then shone in the away game at De Kuip, scoring his first professional goal in the biggest fixture in Dutch football.

It takes a particular kind of temperament to thrive in that environment while still a teenager. It should also not be forgotten that he emerged during a period of major instability at Ajax, when criticism poured down from the stands even more fiercely than the famously unpredictable local weather. The club went through three different managers last season and finished a disappointing fifth in the Eredivisie, their joint-lowest placing since 1999. Those are hardly ideal conditions for a young player trying to establish himself. Yet Steur managed exactly that.

Despite having a slight frame, he stands six feet tall and could yet grow into a genuine physical presence. Combined with the defensive numbers already mentioned, he may offer more bite than many expect. On top of that, he is a player who knows exactly what he wants. Make no mistake, he has come to Newcastle to play, not to sit on the bench. One of the main reasons he left Ajax was the lack of guarantees over his role during talks over a contract extension. It can only be positive that Steur understands what he can bring and has the ambition to prove it on the biggest stages.

On its day, there are few stadiums with a better atmosphere than St James’ Park. To hold your own and flourish there, especially in central midfield, demands a certain personality. It requires confidence, assurance and resilience. Bravery is not only about making tackles, but also about demanding possession. Steur appears made of stern stuff and seems willing to do both.

Of course, another significant arrival has been new head coach Matthias Jaissle. The former Red Bull Salzburg and Al Ahli manager is said to prefer a dynamic, high-pressing and counter-pressing approach, one that depends on quick ball progression in the final third after calm build-up play from the back.

That almost sounds like a product description for an all-action Sean Steur model. His ability with both feet and his composure make him resistant to the press, while his natural tendency is to play sharp forward passes rather than safe sideways ones, helping attacks break quickly. The tempo of Premier League football may take some initial adjustment, but Steur has already shown at Ajax that he relishes winning the ball back. A midfielder under Jaissle needs to be disciplined, energetic and proactive, and all of those qualities can be attached to Steur.

What is more, he can operate in several positions. That could be hugely valuable for Jaissle, who has shown a readiness to alter formations depending on the opposition and the flow of a match. Steur can play as a deep-lying No. 6, a box-to-box No. 8 and even as a No. 10, though he still needs to add more goals to his game. The speed with which Newcastle moved for a relatively inexperienced player may itself suggest that the club believe Steur has everything required to thrive on Tyneside, even if the man in the dugout when he first arrived is no longer there.

Supporters should, of course, remain measured to some extent when it comes to Steur. He will naturally need time to settle into a new league, a new home and continue developing physically. But he already possesses the core attributes, technically, physically and mentally, that a player needs to succeed in the Premier League. There is no reason he cannot begin making a major impact next season, and there are several reasons to think Newcastle United now have a genuinely exciting group of young central midfielders around whom they can build.

In the end, with the departures of Tonali and Guimaraes, this may prove to be short-term pain for long-term gain. And if that is how it unfolds, there is every chance that Steur will sit right at the centre of that progress for many years ahead.