Sean Longstaff has emerged as a bright talent after he was promoted to the senior side just six months back in the midway stage of the 2018/19 season.
According to a report from Manchester Evening News, the 21-year-old has caught the eye of Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who plans to rebuild his squad following another nightmare season at Old Trafford.
Longstaff caught a lucky break earlier in the season when the Magpies were struggling due to a raft of injuries in the centre of the pitch.
He took his chance in style and immediately became a fan favourite at St. James’ Park winning the trust of everyone from his teammates to manager Rafa Benitez who is usually a tough nut to crack.
Even though the Newcastle midfielder had apparently committed his future to his parent club, the prospect of a glittering move to Old Trafford might get the better of the 21-year-old.
Let’s look at 3 potential replacements the Magpies should target in case Longstaff makes a move to the Premier League giants.
Marc Roca
Roca has made a name for himself plying his trade for the Catalan minnows Espanyol in the Spanish top flight.
The Spaniard boasts a wide range of passing ability, with long ball prowess being one of his key attributes. He managed a pass success rate of 86.9% and averaged 4.3 long balls per game in the recently concluded campaign.
His aerial ability, all thanks to his 184cm stature, and the confidence to have a pop at goal makes him a constant threat to the opposition. The 22-year-old boasts 0.7 shots and 1.3 successful aerial duels per 90 minutes.
Seeing his style of play, he could prove to be a fruitful addition for Rafa Benitez’s side in the years to come.
Rani Khedira
Hailing from the family of the former Real Madrid player Sami Khedira, Rani is paving his own path in Germany with the Bundesliga club Augsburg.
The 25-year-old who stands at 188 cm is a defensively astute and versatile midfielder. He averaged 1.9 tackles, 2.7 interceptions, 3.1 clearances and 2.1 aerial duels won per game across all competitions last term.
Apart from his defensive solidity, Rani’s passing skills, especially when delivering accurate long balls, remain vital in opening up opposition defences. He boasts a pass success rate of 81.9% while he notched up 2.4 long balls on an average last season.
Youri Tielemans
Tielemans is another one making waves this season and has already been linked with permanent moves to Old Trafford and Leicester City.
The 22-year-old, who is on loan at King Power Stadium until 30th June, is a versatile playmaker who can play any role in the centre of the pitch.
He is one technically astute midfielder whose anticipation, vision, concentration and spatial awareness remain unparalleled to most midfielders in the Premier League.
Boasting the similar attributes as Longstaff, he could be the ideal replacement for the 21-year-old. But his transfer value is likely to be on the higher side considering the concrete interest from clubs in the Premier League and the Magpies are likely to be in a position to sign him only if the takeover is complete during the functioning of the transfer window.