What next for Man Utd's Jesse Lingard? Weighing up his next move

 

Jesse Lingard's time at Manchester United has been winding down for some time but with 10 days left to run in the current transfer window he is running out of it to secure a move away. Problems off the pitch impacted performances on it last year but he hasn't been the same player since the 2018 World Cup when he played a key role in England's run to the last four. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is said to still be a fan of Lingard but the United train left without him on it long ago.

 

Lingard remarkably last started a Premier League match over a year ago. He has featured in only four of United's last 36 league games since then, only making the matchday squad on 12 occasions and racking up a total of just 64 minutes on the pitch. He hasn't made a single league appearance this season. The 28-year-old hasn't been short of clubs interested in him this month but he wants to make the right choice. The next six months will likely shape the last stage of his career.

 

Bottom side Sheffield United have made the strongest push for Lingard's services but he understandably has reservations. Chris Wilder has pitched Sheffield United as a springboard for Lingard to secure a bigger move in the summer, but as Rhian Brewster has discovered this season it's tough going for forwards at Bramall Lane this season. It would also represent quite a climbdown for Lingard, moving from top of the table to the bottom.

 

 

Yet his stock has fallen substantially over the last 12 months. United have moved on with Bruno Fernandes flourishing in his position. Fernandes hasn't even been at United a year yet and he has already racked up 50 appearances in all competitions, remarkably playing a direct hand in 44 goals in the process. Lingard, meanwhile, has more than 200 appearances for his boyhood club but has returned just seven more goal contributions than Fernandes.

 

There has been talk of a possible reunion with Jose Mourinho at Tottenham, particularly with Dele Alli pushing for a move away and a return for Christian Eriksen currently off the table due to Inter's demands. Lingard actually produced the best football of his United career during Mourinho's time as manager, albeit it all fell in December 2017 with seven goals in nine games across the festive period. Whether United would entertain letting Lingard join a title rival remains to be seen.

 

With Arsenal also an unlikely destination with talks at an advanced stage for Real Madrid's Martin Odegaard, Lingard will more than likely have to accept a club lower down the table in a desperate attempt to get any football this season. Everton are usually the next best destination for United deadwood but they are well stacked in that position, as are West Ham under another former United manager David Moyes.

 

 

Steve Bruce would no doubt welcome Lingard to Newcastle but St. James' Park it's hardly a place for attacking talent to flourish, while clubs ambitious clubs like Southampton and Aston Villa aren't in the market for a player like Lingard. Leicester are, however, keen to sign an attacking midfielder but their interest in Christian Eriksen suggests Brendan Rodgers has set his sights slightly higher than Lingard, who once played for the Foxes on loan.

 

It leaves Lingard with few options and increases Sheffield United's chances of landing him late in the window. Fulham would perhaps be better placed looking for a goalscorer, but Lingard's profile certainly aligns with Scott Parker's way of playing, while a return to Brighton could also be an attractive option for Lingard. Results don't show it but Graham Potter is certainly putting together an interesting project at Brighton and impressively managed to convince Adam Lallana to join them in the summer, as well as Lingard's former United team-mate Danny Welbeck.

 

Above everything Lingard is just looking to get back to doing what he loves most. Many scoff at Lingard's measly goal return, and while it seems weird to say it, he is arguably at his best without the ball. Lingard's appreciation of space is underrated and his runs in behind midfield and defence can cause problems. It's why Mourinho used him so much during his time at United. Lingard still has plenty to offer but time is ticking if he wants to leave United this month.

What next for Man Utd's Jesse Lingard? Weighing up his next move