Sean Longstaff was the subject of intense speculation about his future during the summer, with constant rumours of interest from Manchester United, and mooted bids of around £30 million.
It led Newcastle to slap a £50m valuation on his head, with Mike Ashley and Steve Bruce both saying the midfielder was not for sale.
But talk has resurfaced this week of renewed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer interest in Longstaff ahead of the January transfer window.
The Daily Star report that the Old Trafford side are ready to launch a £40m bid for the youngster, believing that will be enough to tempt the Magpies into a sale.
While everyone agreed that the Newcastle man should not be sold during the summer, that position has changed since then.
Longstaff has struggled for form since recovering from his long-term injury that cut short his season last term, and to be frank, some of his displays have been very poor.
He looks nowhere near the player he was under Rafa Benitez, and whether that is down to the new manager, or if last season was something of a flash in the pan, remains to be seen.
But certainly on the evidence of the opening weeks of the season, £40m sounds like an awfully huge amount for a player that looks a shadow of his former self.
A huge bid could see Newcastle sell Longstaff
Unless there is a gigantic upturn in form for the 21-year-old, it would be no surprise to see him leave if the anticipated bid materialises.
Of course, it could come back to haunt them, with the player turning out to become a top star, making it a move the club eventually regret.
But as we saw with Andy Carroll all those years ago, it does not always turn out like that.
It is a gamble, either way, but if his form continues to ebb away between now and January, I would be inclined to cash in on the player, and try to rebuild with the money – assuming Ashley allows the manager to reinvest it.
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