Manchester United are reportedly considering letting out-of-favour forward Jesse Lingard leave on loan this month. Several clubs in England and abroad have expressed an interest in the player, with Lingard thought to prefer a move to a fellow Premier League side.
ESPN reporter Rob Dawson is claiming that England manager Gareth Southgate has spoken very highly of Lingard to other managers, as rumours linking the 28-year-old with a move away from Old Trafford gather traction.
Manchester United Prepared to Allow Jesse Lingard Loan Exit
Lingard Had Been Named in Premier League and Champions League Squads This Season
Last season was a dismal one for Lingard in the Premier League for Manchester United. The club’s academy graduate nearly went through an entire campaign without registering a single goal or assist for the club in the top flight.
However, Lingard handed himself an apparent reprieve by netting in the Red Devils’ crucial final-day victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. Doing so helped the club qualify for this season’s Champions League groups stages.
On the eve of the current campaign, Lingard still appeared to have a future at Old Trafford. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer named the Warrington-born forward in his squads for both the Premier League and the Champions League, hinting that Lingard would have an important part to play in both competitions.
However, opportunities in the big games have simply failed to materialise this season for the England international, who has not represented his country since the summer of 2019.
At the half-way point of the 2020/21 season, Lingard has only made 3 appearances for United, all in the domestic cup competitions. He is yet to make it off the substitutes’ bench in the Premier League, and did not appear in the Champions League as his side crashed out at the group stage.
The Door is Now Open For Lingard to Seek Regular Football Elsewhere
Earlier in the season, United took up an option to extend Lingard’s contract by a further year. Doing so means they will not lose the player for anything in the summer.
It has since become evident that Lingard does not feature in Solskjaer’s plans, meaning the club are now willing to sanction a loan departure before the January transfer winder slams shut.
The club’s shifting stance over the issue has alerted several clubs in the Premier League to Lingard’s availability. The Mirror are reporting that Newcastle United, West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion are all keeping tabs on the situation.
Additionally, other European clubs still in the Champions League have reportedly contacted United representatives to discuss Lingard’s availability. Although the player wants to remain in England, he is open to a move abroad if the right opportunity becomes available.
Main Photo
