As if things couldn’t get any worse for Newcastle United fans this summer, multiple reports yesterday have claimed Manchester United are planning a £25m raid of Sean Longstaff.
Rumours of the Red Devil’s interest in the midfielder have been circling for months, but it is now believed they are ready to launch a formal bid.
These new rumours have left Toon fans very worried, despite Longstaff previously declaring his desire to stay on Tyneside.
But some are concerned that if the money is right, his own feelings may not necessarily come into it.
If Man United truly want Longstaff, the club may have another Andy Carroll scenario on their hands.
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Is Longstaff the next Andy Carroll?
Nine years ago, Andy Carroll was 21 years old and very much seen as the future of Newcastle United.
He’d been a key part of a 2009/2010 Championship winning side under Chris Hughton and was taking the Premier League by storm in 2010.
Carroll had been given the iconic number nine shirt, and by January 2011 he had already scored 11 league goals.
His performances had seen him rewarded with a five year contract in October 2010, and his future as the next local hero looked cemented.
Mike Ashley was adamant the star would be staying, claiming he was ‘not for sale at any price’.
But when a £35m offer was made from Liverpool for the striker on 31st January 2011, how could the club turn it down?
At the time, it was astronomical money, and a transfer record for a British player.
Carroll himself had not wanted to go, but that didn’t really matter given the size of the fee.
Cut to 2019, and a similar situation could be about to occur.
At just 21 years old, Sean Longstaff is seen as the future of the club and a player who could well be good enough for England.
It’s easy to forget he has only played nine league games for Newcastle.
To be potentially worth £25m, with just nine PL games under your belt, is quite frankly remarkable.
It’s a testament to his talent that he is undoubtedly worth even more than that.
The club have as recently as last month claimed the youngster is not for sale, and Longstaff himself told NUFC TV last week that he was committed to the Toon.
But it’s all getting a little too familiar for some Toon fans and if a high enough offer comes in, they will fear the worst.
Newcastle fans fearing a repeat of Carroll affair
https://twitter.com/BeatsStriped/status/1139503150497456128
https://twitter.com/Lee_NUFC85/status/1139544428002074624