Newcastle United are now close to tying down one of their star players for the long-term future after sporting director Dan Ashworth left the club. The future of midfielder Joelinton has been up in the air for a while now as he is set to enter the final year of his contract next season and was unhappy with the terms of his old deal. Now, a new report from The Telegraph is claiming that progress has been made in the negotiations ever since Ashworth left Newcastle two weeks ago now. Ashworth departure gives Newcastle huge boostAs one of the key figures in the team under Eddie Howe, Newcastle do …