According to the latest reports from the Daily Star, Manchester United are willing to pay £25m for Newcastle United’s midfielder Sean Longstaff, but even that is not enough to persuade the Magpies as they have kept a ”not on sale” stance on their talented midfielder.
For the uninitiated, that might seem like a decent sum for the midfielder who just made nine appearances in the Premier League this season. However, his performances in those games brought a lot of praise towards him from every sector and most agreed that the English midfielder would be one to watch out for in the future. Longstaff managed to breakthrough into the senior team under Rafael Benitez, and he got his chances to shine in the second half of the campaign.
His appearances were cut short due to injury, but he gave enough evidence that he is ready to be the mainstay of the Toon midfield for years to come. Manchester United are keen to add young players to their squad and Longstaff has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford. However, the Magpies are in no mood to listen to any offer for their academy product.
Why the Magpies cannot sell Longstaff as a midfield crisis looms large?
Even if Benitez leaves the club, Longstaff is set to remain at St. James’ Park. The club is likely to have a mini-crisis in midfield as Mohamed Diame is going to be out of contract soon. Jonjo Shelvey is also being linked with a move away from the club. Issac Hayden wants to move too because of personal reasons. So quite a few central midfielders are being linked with a move away.
What makes Longstaff special?
Amidst that, the club cannot afford to sell someone like Longstaff who showed impressive signs in his first senior season. The midfielder stood out for his composure and calmness in the middle of the park, and it seemed like a midfield veteran was playing instead of a newbie.
The 21-year-old seems to have that extra second as he often looks unfazed even when he is pressed, and he uses his physical strength well to keep the ball away from defenders. To go with that, Longstaff showcases quality work rate and many have compared him to former Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick because of his pass picking abilities.
Right call from the club?
It is clear that the club rates the midfielder highly and they are banking on him to produce the goods in the future. Newcastle are definitely right in not allowing him to leave even for £25m. Longstaff has impressed the Magpies so much that after just nine appearances in the Premier League, he is set to be offered a bumper new contract even though he signed a new deal only six months ago.
