Manchester United near Longstaff signing

Manchester United are close to signing Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff, according to reports.

The Daily Mirror reports that United are confident of signing the 21-year-old midfielder, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confident that he is up to the task of holding down a place in the United squad despite an obvious lack of experience.

Longstaff impressed scouts sufficiently despite playing his last game for Newcastle in March following a knee ligament injury. An offer of £25 million is expected to be sufficient, with Rafael Benitez in need of raising funds in order to rebuilld his own squad.

There are potential complications for the move. Newcastle United have been linked with a takeover for the past two years, and one might be imminent, and Benitez’s future at the club is far from certain.

The paper claims that these factors are unlikely to hold up any deal for the midfielder, and if he joins in the next week then he is likely to be the second signing made by Solskjaer after the purchase of Daniel James from Swansea City for around £17 million.

There are also rumours linked United with Crystal Palace defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who could move to Old Trafford for a fee of around £53 million, with the London club holding out for a fee closer to £60 million.