Manchester United are reportedly set to step up their pursuit of Sean Longstaff and are plotting a £30 million bid for the Newcastle midfielder.
The Mirror have claimed that Manchester United are ready to step up their pursuit of Sean Longstaff. The Red Devils have been linked with the English midfielder for a while now and as per the report, are ready to splash the cash, with a £30 million bid lined up for the Newcastle star.
The report states that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made Sean Longstaff a priority addition as part of his United rebuild. While Manchester United feel Newcastle’s £50 million price tag for Longstaff is unfair and unjustified, the report says that a £30 million bid is imminent, which United feel is a more realistic asking price for the 21-year-old.
Sean Longstaff has not created a whirlwind of hype around his talent. The 21-year-old though, did receive high praise from Pep Guardiola in the post-match reaction of Newcastle’s match against Manchester City. On the other hand, Longstaff has only 13 senior appearances to his name and is returning from a long-term knee injury.
Still, in the 13 appearances, Longstaff has put in compelling displays that has led to comparisons with Manchester United legend and current first-team coach Michael Carrick. With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looking to build a young and British core at Old Trafford, United are chasing the 21-year-old.
Ander Herrera was allowed to run his contract down and Paul Pogba has been linked with a move away from the club. To add to the problems, Nemanja Matic was out of form towards the last phase of the 2018-19 campaign and did not show any paramount improvement in his appearances in the pre-season so far.
Scott McTominay has risen as a quality option for Solskjaer. But, Andreas Pereira is, at best, a squad option right now, with the Brazilian having a slight tendency of going anonymous in games from time-to-time. Fred could be like a new signing if he gets going. Still, Solskjaer would need one pure central midfielder, unless he decides to promote James Garner, which is unlikely for the 2019-20 campaign.
There is no denying the fact that Longstaff has potential to be a Carrick-esque player for Manchester United. But, signings driven by potential alone have a tendency of not being a success. So far, United have signed two potential-driven players. But, Wan-Bissaka proved himself in the Premier League and was statistically one of the best full-backs in the league.
Daniel James might be a raw prospect. But, even he has considerable appearances under his belt and is being brought in on the back of a productive season at Swansea. Longstaff on the other hand, has not managed to string together a strong run of performances so far, which makes the price tag a bit ludicrous.
One could argue even £30 million is overpriced for a 21-year-old who has just 13 senior appearances. But, the current market often throws in these kind of transfers. Chances are, Manchester United will do the same for Longstaff.
