Manchester United’s interest in Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff is serious and they are expected to submit their opening bid before the weekend, claims the Press Association.
After failed transfers like Angel di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Alexis Sanchez, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants United to stop signing big names and focus on recruiting young, ambitious players.
Swansea winger Daniel James is poised to become Solskjaer’s first signing as manager of the Red Devils and United are also intensifying their interest in Newcastle’s Longstaff.
The 21-year-old made a positive impact after breaking into Newcastle’s first-team at the start of the year before a knee injury at the start of March ended his season prematurely.
Nevertheless, United believe they have seen enough for the midfielder from his eight Premier League starts to warrant a move for his services this summer, though the Magpies will likely reject their opening advances.
With four years left to run on his current deal, United may have to pay in excess of £20m to sign Longstaff and it remains to be seen whether they are willing to hand over that sort of money to an unproven prospect.
Solskjaer already wanted to sign a new midfielder this summer to replace Marouane Fellaini, who left at the start of the year, but will also have to find a replacement for Ander Herrera, who will leave when his contract expires this summer.
With Paul Pogba reportedly keen on joining Real Madrid, there is a good chance Solskjaer will have to overhaul his midfield options completely before the start of next season and Longstaff is a target.
Even from a small sample size, it’s clear that Longstaff had a positive impact in the Newcastle side from his eight league matches, with Newcastle winning half of those compared to a win rate of just 26.7% in the league games he didn’t start this season.
