Newcastle United have reportedly ended their pursuit of Brandon Williams, with Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hoping the versatile Englishman will stay.
The full-back got a rare start for the Red Devils against Watford in the third round of the FA Cup, for what was only his eighth appearance of the season.
Interestingly, Williams was deployed at right-back to give Aaron Wan-Bissaka a rest, despite previously playing the majority of games for the club at left-back.
It seems Williams’ versatility is something Solskjaer is unwilling to part with, and now, the Northern Echo have reported the Magpies are ready to give up on the 20-year-old as a result.
It had been previously reported that Williams was wanted by Steve Bruce, with the Shields Gazette even claiming that a deal in principle had been agreed.
It seems the club will now have to get to work on other targets.
Blow for Newcastle
That Solskjaer doesn’t want to lose £65,000-a-week star Williams (Spotrac) and that Newcastle have apparently now ended their interest is a shame.
He may not be a top quality full-back just yet, but he could have come in handy for Newcastle.
His ability to play on either side of the pitch is a valuable trait, and obviously he also has experience of playing in the Premier League, the Champions League and the Europa League.