Manchester United may be interested in Sean Longstaff, but Newcastle manager Steve Bruce claims to have been given no indication that a big-money bid is imminent.
Speculation continues to suggest that the 22-year-old midfielder is a target for the Red Devils.
Rumours regarding a switch to Old Trafford first surfaced in the summer of 2019, and have now rumbled on into January 2020.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted to being on the lookout for fresh faces and hinted that he will seek additions in the middle of the park.
Longstaff ticks the young and home-grown boxes which have been prioritised by the Red Devils in their recent recruitment.
That suggests that a formal approach may be in the offing, but ex-United defender Bruce says he is not expecting to field advances from his former club.
The Newcastle boss, who has no intention of parting with any of his prized assets, told Chronicle Live of the Longstaff exit talk: “Look, I have said it from day one, we can never stop the speculation.
“As far as I am concerned, I know Mick Phelan and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer very well and at this moment I don't know anything about it.
“We don't want to sell our best young players. That's certainly the case with Longy.
“This time last year he was just breaking through and he got in because of injury.
“The kid has done very well and let's see if we can keep playing.”
Solskjaer has said of his bid to bring fresh faces into Old Trafford, with Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay currently sidelined: “We had four fit players at the start of the season for two positions and we felt that we didn't find the right one for the right value.
“But we have been looking to strengthen the squad in different positions.”
Longtsaff, who is a product of Newcastle’s academy system, has taken in 15 appearances for the Magpies across all competitions this season.
One of those was a 1-0 victory over United back in October when his brother Matty netted the match-winner to claim a notable scalp.