da dobrowin： There seems to be plenty of activity currently among the Manchester United midfielders. Obviously, Paul Pogba has been extensively linked with a move away after publically admitting he’d like a new challenge and, additionally, Ander Herrera is to leave after his contract comes to a close. So, perhaps it’s fair to say that United fans are in need of some good news, and it may arrive in the shape of Sean Longstaff.
da betobet： According to The Mirror, United are closing in on a potential £25m signing for the Newcastle midfielder. They report that United are looking to build for the future, buying young and exciting prospects, rather than established household names. This is certainly reflected in their recent acquisition of Daniel James in a £15m deal from Swansea, as well as the reported interest in both Mattijs de Ligt and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Longstaff was particularly impressive last season, starting in eleven fixtures in a row before damaging ligaments in his knee that effectively ended his season. The 21-year-old made nine Premier League appearances in total, scoring one goal. Despite a clear lack of experience, The Mirror report that Solskjaer liked what he saw during that limited game time.
The boyhood Newcastle fan has, in the club’s in-house TV channel, admitted he is flattered to be linked with such moves, but has pledged 100% commitment to the club. Yet, according to the Evening Standard, they believe a fee of £25m should be enough to entice both the club and the player.
Big money signing Fred has certainly not, as of yet anyway, produced anywhere close to the standard initially expected. With Herrera’s departure, alongside Juan Mata also possibly on his way out, the United midfield is starting to look paper thin.
However, with the acquisition of Longstaff, they would have a player who would give their all, genuinely comfortable on the ball and is a far better passer than given credit for. In fact, Newcastle were one of the only teams to inflict defeats on champions Manchester City last season. Subsequently to the game, Guardiola expressed that they simply couldn’t cope with Newcastle’s holding midfielders – quite the compliment for the young Englishman.
Due to his lack of experience, there isn’t a huge amount of data to go off in regards to Longstaff but Louise Taylor of the Guardian did compare him to another Geordie to have starred at the Theatre of Dreams in Michael Carrick, so it’s clear there is an element of potential here.
There’s a reason United are willing to pay £25m for a player with just nine Premier League games under the belt and it’s not hard to see why.
United fans, what do you think about the prospect of Sean Longstaff joining United this summer? Is he a good player for the future? Or would he get into the current team? Comment below.