Man Utd End Pursuit of Sean Longstaff Over Newcastle's £50m Asking Price

Manchester United are understood to have ended their pursuit of Sean Longstaff due to Newcastle's £50m asking price.

United were first linked with the 22-year-old in the summer after he broke into the Magpies' first team towards the back end of the 2018/19 campaign. Longstaff was first drafted into the Newcastle side on Boxing Day, going on to start the next eight games as Rafa Benitez's side enjoyed a good run of form.

Sean Longstaff is no longer thought to be under serious consideration by Manchester United #mulive [telegraph]
— utdreport (@utdreport) January 8, 2020

The midfielder's performances were enough to attract the attention of United, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer chasing the starlet during the summer. The Red Devils were reported to have reignited their interest in Longstaff recently, but it now appears the player will remain at St James' Park for the foreseeable future.

According to the Telegraph, Newcastle's £50m valuation is over double what United are willing to pay, putting an end to any negotiations. The report corroborates comments made by Steve Bruce recently which reaffirmed the club's commitment to keeping Longstaff at the club.

"As far as I am concerned I know Mike Phelan and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer very well and at this moment I don't know anything about it. We don't want to sell our best young players. That's certainly the case with Longy," Bruce said.

"This time last year he was just breaking through and he got in because of injury. The kid has done very well and let's see if we can keep playing," he added.

With the signing of Longstaff looking unlikely, United are understood to have turned their attention to other midfield targets. Ajax youngster Donny van de Beek is an option, though he is estimated to demand at least a £50m transfer fee.

Emre Can has also been touted as a potential signing while it has also been reported that United have joined the race to sign wantaway Barcelona star Arturo Vidal.

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Source : 90min