United closing in on Longstaff

Manchester United are getting close to sealing a deal to sign Sean Longstaff of Newcastle, according to the Mirror.

With Ander Herrera gone, the future of Paul Pogba in the air and Nemanja Matić being in his thirties, the team led by former forward Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is in need of midfield reinforcements. A recent report claimed that they were looking at the possibility of adding Eric Dier of Tottenham Hotspur to their ranks. However, it also said that Longstaff was a target too.

The Magpies face a lot of uncertainty themselves, with not only the future of manager Rafa Benitez at stake, but the future of the club itself too – a change of ownership at St James Park is apparently imminent at this stage. United see these circumstances as a boost to their intention of taking the 21-year-old away to Old Trafford in a swoop that would cost them £25 million.

Signing Longstaff would certainly go in the direction of the new transfer strategy reportedly set up at United, one that should have them targeting young British talents, such as winger Daniel James whose services they’ve already secured.