According to the Daily Star, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told the club to complete the signing of Newcastle’s Sean Longstaff this week.
The claim is backed up by another report in the Telegraph, which states the Old Trafford side will make an official approach in the coming days.
A firm offer for the player will be a big test for the Newcastle hierarchy, and is something that they must dismiss at all costs.
The player is from the region, and is someone that the club should be building future squads around. Of all the players on the books at St James’ Park, he is probably the one that would be deemed as unsellable.
The fact that he is a local lad and lifelong Newcastle fan, should mean keeping him at the club is a simple task.
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If we cannot keep players like that, then we cannot expect to hold onto anyone.
That said, Rafa Benitez wanted to stay, and we could not keep him either, so nothing would be a surprise at the club any longer.
Longstaff is the future of the club and all bids must be rejected
It will be interesting to see what happens, however, as Mike Ashley will know he is at a position where fans cannot really think much less of him, so he may decide to recoup some money ahead of a potential sale of the club.
Fans will hope that heads will overrule wallets, and that Ashley – who according to Dennis Wise cares about Newcastle – will see the player as the long-term heart of the side, and rightly tell Solskjaer and Co. that the player is not for sale at any price.
Fans, however, will be highly doubtful of that happening, given the Newcastle’s history as a selling club.