If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had it his way, Sean Longstaff would be a Manchester United player.
Longstaff was lined up by Solskjaer in 2019 as part of a much-vaunted ‘cultural reboot’ in which the manager solely targeted British players during his first summer in charge.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire and Dan James all joined, with Sean Longstaff the one that got away.
It was a lucky escape as far as United were concerned. The Telegraph reported how Newcastle demanded £50 million for the midfielder when Ed Woodward enquired after him, a fee which was seen as staggering, even at a time where the club were used to being quoted over the odds.
Sensibly a decision was made to walk away, and Longstaff will no doubt regret being denied the opportunity to move, and Newcastle will probably wish they had not been so greedy too.
On the move at last?
Sean Longstaff could finally be on the move, to the Championship. The Sun report Longstaff could be loaned out to Nottingham Forest.
The 24-year-old has not started a Premier League game since October, having failed to impress new Newcastle boss Eddie Howe.
So it seems Longstaff could end up partnering United talent James Garner after all in midfield, just not as Solskjaer envisioned it. The pair could become loan teammates at a resurgent Forest side which has climbed to seventh place in the table.
At the time, it did not make sense why Solskjaer was focusing on Longstaff, to the point where having seemingly identified the need for a central midfielder, nobody else was signed instead that summer.
United simply spent too much time chasing the wrong player, with the Longstaff saga taking up several weeks of the 2019 transfer window after the Wan-Bissaka deal.
Since then the midfielder has failed to develop as United envisioned, or as Newcastle hoped he would do. He will be out of contract as a free agent at the end of the season, and even on a free, Manchester United will no longer be interested.
Newcastle actually did us a favour with this one, and Longstaff being targeted in the first place highlights how midfield was an area Solskjaer struggled with, from the very start.
- Youri Tielemans’ past injuries and age cannot overshadow immediate solution solved in Man Utd’s post-Casemiro era
- I was desperate for Man United to sign Eduardo Camavinga, but his latest Real Madrid decision is a worry
- Joshua Zirkzee’s stance on Juventus move could fast-track Man Utd exit
- Danilo has already learned two important skills from Casemiro amid rumblings he could move to Man Utd
- Man Utd may immediately repeat their successful Youri Tielemans ‘trick’ with their next midfield signing
- Why Man Utd’s brand-new Adidas away shirt for 2026/27 Premier League season is in blue design
- Alejandro Garnacho’s Aston Villa spell could determine which of his two ex-Man Utd teammates’ footsteps he follows
- There’s one major difference with how Benjamin Sesko looks in training
- What Manchester United’s XI vs Rosenborg looked like in 2024 pre-season clash
- Unprecedented transfer move: Man Utd swoop for third midfielder would rip up the club’s transfer history
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
