Everton would sign Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff if Rafa Benitez was manager
Everton would have signed Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff if Rafa Benitez was still the manager, according to The Athletic.
The Englishman was seen as the perfect fit for the Spaniard's side, but the deal never got off the ground once he was sacked.
His successor Frank Lampard wanted more attack-minded midfielders and brought in Dele Alli and Donny van de Beek.
Dodged a bullet?
Longstaff, a player labelled "fantastic" by his ex-coach Gary Bowyer labelled him [Guardian], is a player whose career has never kicked on in the way many thought that it would.
He's always been the sort of 'What if?' player at Newcastle, which is why none of the big clubs ever really wanted to sign him.
The only reason why Benitez wanted him was because he had formerly worked with him.
He understood the way the Spaniard's system worked and would have been a defensive lynchpin in the side.
However, under Lampard, the squad is set to play a more expansive brand of football and Alli and van de Beek signings give a good indication into it.
Both players are at their best in and around the 18-yard area and it would be thrilling to watch them both in the same playing eleven.
How Lampard will incorporate this into his 4-2-3-1 system, remains to be seen, but these certainly are exciting times for Everton fans.
In other Everton news, the club made an approach to sign an English attacker before the window closed.