Manchester United are in danger of alienating Newcastle United as talks over a possible deal for Sean Longstaff continue to stall.
The 21-year-old attracted United’s attention with his performances in the Premier League last season, after breaking into the first team at St James’ Park in impressive fashion.
The English midfielder racked up 13 appearances before sustaining an unfortunate knee injury in March, which saw him miss the final few weeks of the 2018-19 campaign.
According to Sky Sports, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen on bringing Longstaff to Old Trafford, but Newcastle are hoping to receive a huge fee for his services within the region of £50 million.
United have the financial muscle to pull off such a deal and the Magpies ace fits in with the club’s new transfer policy which centres around targeting young, homegrown talent.
However, according to the Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils’ proposed move for Longstaff is in doubt due to their unorthodox approach to transfer negotiations.
The report states that United’s tactic in the summer window has been to suggest certain targets are not their priority, before taking a step back in an attempt to reduce the value of a potential prospect.
Longstaff’s representatives were apparently told there ‘a few ahead of him’ in reference to possible arrivals at Old Trafford and negotiations have since gone cold.
United’s patient approach may have worked perfectly in luring Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace for £50 million – as per Sky Sports – but Solskjaer still needs a couple of extra reinforcements.
The Manchester outfit would be well advised to step up their pursuit of Longstaff before its too late, especially as their Premier League rivals all continue to strengthen.
The Express reports that the Newcastle star has been touted as a possible replacement for AC Milan target Nemanja Matic at the Theatre of Dreams, but United cannot afford to wait around before submitting an official offer.
