Jesse Lingard might stay at Manchester United this season after Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s comments indicated he could be part of his plans.
According to Goal, Jesse Lingard could stay put at Manchester United this season and become part of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s plans for the season. With some of his comments, the Norwegian manager hinted at keeping Lingard at Old Trafford after his impressive stint with West Ham United at loan last season.
Until January of this year, Jesse Lingard’s future at Old Trafford was grim. However, a six-month loan at West Ham went on quite well, where Lingard scored nine goals and provided five assists. That contribution helped the Hammers finish in Europa League positions and increased interest in him from elsewhere.
Before he went on loan, United extended his deal by a further year, meaning Lingard’s contract runs out next summer. West Ham have been keen on permanently signing the England international but are unwilling to pay over the odds. Real Madrid were showing glimpses of interest but nothing more than that.
A week ago, Lingard look destined to leave Old Trafford. In theory, he is far behind in the pecking order for an attacking midfielder. Bruno Fernandes’ arrival effectively reduced his playing time, but last summer’s signing of Donny Van de Beek pushed him out the door.
What now for Lingard? ?
— Goal News (@GoalNews) July 18, 2021
With Van de Beek failing to impact in any significant way, Solksjaer might be reconsidering keeping Lingard for the upcoming season. His performances at West Ham have led Solksjaer to rethink his strategy, take the burden off Fernandes a little, and place some responsibilities on the English star.
Goal published some of Solskjaer’s comments on Lingard recently. He said, “Jesse has come back, been bright, he wants to fight for his place, and there’s nothing better than seeing players want to fight for their place. What he did towards the end of last season, that’s the true Jesse, that’s what we know he’s capable of, and I think we saw towards the end that we lacked some options at times, and Jesse is in the plans at the moment, yeah.”
As it stands, Lingard has not commented anything on the situation, but he could be interested in moving to David Moyes’ side. Alternatively, he could sense an opportunity to resurrect his career at Old Trafford and give it another shot. United will have to offer him new terms or risk losing him on a free next summer.
Will United benefit from Lingard staying put at Old Trafford, or should they cash in on him when his value is good in the market? Either way, interested clubs such as West Ham will try hard to bring the price down due to the length of his current deal. Lingard, however, is likely to thrive either with the Hammers or at United.
