Despite Sean Longstaff being heavily linked to Manchester United and a deal seeming imminent at one stage, the talks between Newcastle United and Manchester United have calmed and almost dismissed.
At the beginning of the summer transfer window, a deal between the 2 clubs looked to be certain. Manchester United officials met with Newcastle to discuss the possible transfer of Sean Longstaff. United had a clear evaluation of the player and how much they were willing to pay, which was far from the evaluation of Newcastle United. It is believed that a fee of £25m was offered to Newcastle to secure the signature of the promising 21-year old. Newcastle officials laughed this offer away and wanted at least to double that amount, estimating Longstaff’s worth at around £50m.
As the days have passed in this hectic transfer window and with Manchester United’s priorities being elsewhere, as they look to sign the likes of Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes and even the startling swap deal of Romelu Lukaku and Paulo Dybala, which would excite the whole of the red side of Manchester. This has allowed the conversations between Longstaff himself, Newcastle and Manchester United to be cooled.
Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce has heavily emphasised the fact that Sean Longstaff is not for sale and that he would love to have the young playmaker playing at the historic St James’ park, home to some of the biggest legends of English football, next season. Longstaff has in fact been labelled as the one to watch by many and proving himself for another season could see his valuation sky rocket even more.
Whether Sean Longstaff stays or goes can depend on a number of factors. At the moment it seems he is happy to stay at Newcastle and shine as one of the best players for the upcoming season, however he may decide that he wants to progress further if Newcastle fail to have a successful season this time round. Since being promoted back into the top flight of English football after winning the Championship in the season of 2016/17, Newcastle have finished 10th, and then 13th. This is a convincing finish for the Magpies who’s aim was to finish in a stable position when re-entering the Premier League. However now, they really want to push on and have their sights set on the top half of the table. With Rafa Benitez heading off to Asia, it is time for Steve Bruce to step up and fill some pretty big boots. There has been a lot of question from critics as to whether Steve Bruce is the one that can really push Newcastle United on. There is no denying that it will be a difficult task, but the fans are very optimistic and hope that they can be the 11th man for the season and give the players all the encouragement they need. If Newcastle fail to deliver this season, then Sean Longstaff might decide that a bigger challenge is what he wants, and Manchester United may still be there to welcome him with open arms, and when Manchester United come knocking, it is difficult for most players to say no.
Sean Longstaff has made 11 appearances for Newcastle over the course of last season after suffering a terrible knee ligament injury. So, this season is a massive season for him, whether he can live up to expectation, which is set very high. In his recent interviews, he seemed very exciting and rearing to go ahead of the new season and wasn’t entertaining the transfer speculation surrounding him, seeming confident that he will be a Newcastle United player for the 2019/20 season.
There are some rumours that United have proposed an increased initial bid from £25m up to £30m, which is still far off Newcastle’s asking price, but you also have to consider the preferences of the player himself. At this current time it does not seem like a deal is likely to happen, but who knows what can happen as the transfer deadline day approaches and we are sure to witness some shock summer signing come the end of the window.
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