3 players Manchester United could realistically sign this January

2. Sean Longstaff

Sean Longstaff

Sean Longstaff, on the face of it, ticks most if not all boxes for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The 22-year-old English midfielder has caught the eye of a number of clubs for his impressive but limited number of performances since the 2018/19 season and United are understandably leading the chase for the Newcastle United man.

Born and raised in Newcastle, Longstaff has played a total of 27 games for the Magpies, scoring and assisting twice. The Englishman is an incredibly industrious midfielder and plays with great intensity, which fits perfectly with the evolving and increasing reliance on energetic and powerful midfielders. Apart from his injection of energy in midfield due to his willingness to cover every blade of grass, his end product is hard to judge considering the stature of Newcastle.

With the Toon Army currently battling for survival, Longstaff perhaps lacks the surroundings to be expressive on the pitch but has displayed his eye for an accurate long pass. Last season, the 22-year-old averaged 3.3 long balls per game in his 9 appearances at an 80% pass succession rate. Considering the runners that United have upfront, it could be an interesting aspect to delve into.

Longstaff could be a valuable addition for the right price

Even stylistically, a workhorse midfield of McTominay and the Newcastle man along with a creative force such as Pogba would be a resolute, effective and defensively sound set-up, enabling the team's more expressive players to damage the opposition. Against lesser teams, he could even be an option off the bench to sweep up loose balls around the box late into the game to protect a lead.

The major stumbling block here apart from his lack of professional games under his belt is the reported price tag united were quoted last summer of £50m. Should United manage to convince Steve Bruce's side to sell him for a reasonable price, he could be a valuable addition to the side.