After five seasons at Manchester United, midfielder Ander Herrera left the club on a free transfer at the end of last season, eventually ending up at French giants Paris-Saint Germain.
To fill the void left by Herrera, United are targeting Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff this summer as they look to build a young squad filled with British talent.
Having already bought in winger Daniel James and full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, while also chasing a deal for Leicester City defender Harry Maguire, Longstaff is the player who Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants as a central midfield option next season.
But, how does Longstaff compare with Herrera in terms of attributes? And, how different are their playing styles?
We used Football Manager to find out.
Sean Longstaff vs Ander Herrera
Current Ability: 120/200 vs 150/200
Potential Ability: 142/200 vs 156/200
Age: 21 vs 29
We used Football Manager 2019 to compare the two players and see who has the best attributes to play as a 'box-to-box midfielder', according to the game, which is a broad role, but will give us an overview of their best attributes.
Longstaff's attributes are on the left, with Herrera's on the right.
Here's how they compare.
Technical attributes
Dribbling: 12/9
Finishing: 13/10
First Touch: 13/15
Long Shots: 15/9
Passing: 14/15
Tackling: 13/14
Technique: 13/15
Sean Longstaff: 93
Ander Herrera: 87
According to Football Manager 2019, Longstaff has the better technical attributes for the box-to-box midfielder role, with the English midfielder having better dribbling, finishing and long shots than the Spaniard. Although, Herrera's passing, technique, tackling and first touch are slightly better.
Mental attributes
Aggression: 11/17
Anticipation: 11/18
Composure: 10/13
Decisions: 12/13
Off the Ball Movement: 14/12
Positioning: 11/14
Teamwork: 15/16
Work rate: 15/18
Sean Longstaff: 99
Ander Herrera: 121
Mentally, Herrera's is significantly more developed, this is due to the age and experience difference between the two players, with Longstaff having only a season of senior football under his belt. When you consider how little football Longstaff has played compared to Herrera, he doesn't do too badly in comparison.
Physical attributes
Acceleration: 12/14
Balance: 13/12
Pace: 13/13
Stamina: 15/18
Strength: 9/11
Sean Longstaff: 62
Ander Herrera: 68
Physically, Herrera edges it, having better acceleration, stamina and strength than Longstaff, but the 21-year-old has time to develop these attributes.
Overall
Sean Longstaff: 254
Ander Herrera: 276
Overall, as you would expect, Herrera is the more complete midfield player of the two, but Longstaff is a lot closer than you would have thought, considering the fact that the Magpies midfielder is seven years younger.
The Toon midfielder is also a different profile of player to the 29-year-old, with Longstaff much more adept at finishing attacking moves, shooting from distance and dribbling, whereas Herrera is more defensive-minded.
If Longstaff continues to develop, either at Old Trafford, St. James Park or elsewhere, he could become a top quality midfield player, according to Football Manager 2019.
