Newcastle United have opened "talks" regarding a contract extension for Joelinton at St. James' Park, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

When is Joelinton out of contract at Newcastle?

The Brazil international first arrived in the Premier League from Hoffenheim back in 2019 and has since gone on to become a regular feature in the northeast, clocking up a total of 157 appearances to date.

The Magpies talisman still has another two years remaining on his contract at St. James’ Park, but having established himself last season in a remarkable personal campaign as Eddie Howe’s overall second best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 7.24, he’s bound to attract interest during the upcoming window.

PIF and the boss will be pleased to learn that the 26-year-old is yet to have any clubs chasing him as far as public knowledge is concerned, but you can never be too careful as we approach this busy time of year and it sounds like the hierarchy are keen to tie him down before any potential suitors start circling.

Have Newcastle offered Joelinton a new contract?

Taking to Twitter, Plettenberg revealed that Newcastle have now entered discussions with Joelinton about the possibility of him putting pen to paper and committing his long-term future to the club. He wrote:

"Excl. News #Joelinton: @NUFC wants to extend his contract beyond 2025 now! Talks have started. Early stage. Result open. After a top season the 26 y/o is about to make his debut with Brazil. Key player."

Newcastle will know that Joelinton was one of their most standout performers last season, and considering the high standard of quality that he displayed, the attacking midfielder being rewarded with improved terms is nothing less than he deserves.

The ROGON client, who earns £85k-per-week, racked up eight goal contributions (six goals and two assists) in the top-flight during the previous term and ranked in the 97th percentile for number of attacking touches in the opposition’s penalty area and the 94th percentile for successful take-ons, as per FBRef.

The Alianca native, who offers wonderful versatility with his ability to operate in seven different positions, is also highly regarded among his fellow players and black and white striped supporters having taken home the Player of the Year award in 2021/22, and this love story will only develop even further should he sign on the dotted line in the weeks ahead of us.