Manchester United confident of signing Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff, who is valued at £25 million by the Premier League club.
According to a report by Daily Mirror, Manchester United believe they are closing in on the capture of Sean Longstaff, despite his recent comments to pledge his future to Newcastle United. The English midfielder has a £25 million price tag on his head and could be the second summer signing for the Premier League heavyweights this summer.
Sean Longstaff has made giant strides since making his first-team debut at Newcastle United last year. In fact, he made such a rapid impression on Rafa Benitez that he went on to start 11 games in the second half of the season before a long-term knee injury brought about a premature end to his campaign.
While he continues to recover from the serious injury, interest in him has surfaced from other clubs. In particular, Premier League’s fallen giants Manchester United seem keen on signing the 21-year-old in the summer transfer window.
Manchester United are in the middle of a rebuild project that appears to be quite daunting due to a myriad of reasons. While a disastrous season warrants key changes to the squad, there are a few forced shuffles that need to be made as well. One such issue has been created by the departure of Ander Herrera.
With Nemanja Matic showing signs of regression and Paul Pogba also facing an uncertain future, bolstering midfield has suddenly become a priority for Manchester United. To that end, several midfielders have been linked with the Premier League heavyweights over a possible summer move.
But, with Manchester United failing to qualify for the Champions League, signing top class talents has become a problem. As a result, Longstaff, who has been touted as a promising talent at Newcastle, could be a long-term solution for United.
And, as per the report, Manchester United are confident of sealing a £25 million deal for Longstaff. However, these claims contradict the player’s recent comments that saw him pledge his future to Newcastle.
Longstaff would fit in Manchester United’s reported policy under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to recruit players who would serve the club for years to come. As a result of the same policy, United secured the services of Daniel James earlier this month.
It now remains to be seen if the report indeed turns out to be true and if despite his assurances, Sean Longstaff ends up leaving Newcastle United to join Manchester United in a £25 million deal this summer.
