Manchester United have been put off in their bid to land Sean Longstaff because of Newcastle United’s asking price, according to The Sun.
The 21-year-old midfielder has been identified as a key target by Reds boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this summer, despite having only made 12 senior appearances for the Magpies.
But it is understood that United will turn their nose up at the £50 million being quoted to them on Tyneside, with the figure leaving the top six side “stunned”.
United will now look elsewhere for a new midfielder.
OPINION
This is fantastic news for Newcastle, but you have to say that you can’t blame United for walking away. Make no mistake, Longstaff has potential to burn. The youngster may have only made 12 appearances for the Magpies last season, but in that time he established himself as one of the most important members of Rafa Benitez’s side, and it was a crying shame to see his season cut short by injury. His pass completion rate of 80.9% and the fact that he was only dispossessed 0.7 times per match, plus his average of 3.3 long balls per game [Whoscored], illustrate a central midfielder who is more than capable of controlling matches in an understated and efficient manner. At 21, you would fancy him to keep getting better as well. But all of that being said, £50 million is an extortionate figure for a player with so little experience. That may be more of a reflection on the market than on Newcastle’s valuation of him, but regardless, you can’t blame United for being put off.
