Possible destinations for Jesse Lingard
Jesse Lingard has had a difficult season at Old Trafford, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and then interim boss Ralf Rangnick rarely giving him a chance.
Throughout the season, he has only been given two Premier League starts and has only played 547 minutes in all competitions. He was also denied a minute on the pitch to say his goodbyes at Man Utd’s last home game of the season against Brentford on Monday.
It’s unsurprising that the offensive midfielder would depart when his contract runs out, but where will he go? Here are six possibilities, as reported by footballtransfers
AS Roma
Serie A is now Lingard’s most likely destination, with Roma dominating the race. Jesse Lingard has talked with Chris Smalling and Tammy Abraham, two more Englishmen who have made a name for themselves in Rome. There is a strong ex-Man Utd enclave at Roma, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and coach Jose Mourinho also there.
Inter Milan or AC Milan
Jesse Lingard sparked rumours of a move to San Siro when he flew to the city for a break there in March, meeting up with another former teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Milan are actively in the market for an attacking central midfielder in Stefano Pioli’s 4-2-3-1 formation. Meanwhile, Inter transfer chief Beppe Marotta is famed for signing free transfers and would jump at the chance for Lingard.
Newcastle United
Newcastle attempted to get Lingard during the January transfer window and were set to do so until Rangnick refused to sell the midfielder. Lingard is expected to move to the richest club in the world this summer. Newcastle will make him the best financial offer he will receive.
West Ham United
During the second part of the 2020-21 season, Jesse Lingard was on loan at West Ham, where he had a fantastic half-season. In 16 games during that time, he scored nine goals and supplied four assists to help West Ham qualify for the Europa League. Lingard and West Ham manager David Moyes both wanted to make the transfer permanent, but negotiations failed. This summer, West Ham will almost certainly pursue him again.
Arsenal
Arsenal, who have been widely associated with Lingard in recent years, is a somewhat more out-of-the-box alternative. Arsenal boasts of a strong offensive center midfield with Emile Smith-Rowe and Martin Odegaard, but the lack of experience in the team has become apparent in recent weeks. They are now in danger of missing out on the Champions League after appearing to be on the verge of qualifying. Jesse Lingard’s experience may be precisely what they need on a young squad like theirs.
