Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff remains fully focused on the upcoming season despite admitting he is flattered by interest from Manchester United.
The Manchester Evening News reports that United had been weighing up a £20 million bid for the 21-year-old, but the Magpies have placed a £50 million price tag on the head of a prized asset.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer identified Longstaff as a target and had hoped to bring the playmaker to Old Trafford before the club’s pre-season campaign got underway, but no deal ever came to fruition.
Newcastle boss Steve Bruce has since insisted that the English star will not be sold, with the Red Devils now focused on finalising business elsewhere.
Longstaff says a final decision on his future is “out of his hands”, but acknowledges that he must be progressing well to be linked with a club as huge as United.
As per MEN, when asked about rumours surrounding his position at St James’ Park, the midfielder responded: “Obviously, I’m still young and getting used to all that side of it. There’s nothing you can do.
“It’s in the hands of other people now. Like I said before, I’m fully focused on being back fit for the start of the Premier League season.
“To have your name mentioned with those top clubs is obviously great, but, for me, it’s about working as hard as I can for Newcastle and getting back.
“I’m trying to focus on football. The stuff off the pitch isn’t what you play for, you can get too caught up in it.”
It certainly sounds like Longstaff hasn’t closed the door on a possible switch to Old Trafford, but it now appears unlikely he will leave Newcastle before the start of the 2019-20 campaign.
United are busy trying to bring in two major names, starting with Leicester City’s Harry Maguire, who has been on the club’s radar for well over a year.
Juve’s Paulo Dybala has also emerged as a target for the Red Devils, with negotiations over a possible exchange deal for Romelu Lukaku ongoing – as per MEN.
