Old Trafford exit confirmed
Jesse Lingard has been keeping himself busy while his seven-year spell in the Manchester United first team slowly but surely comes to an end. Since confirming his impending departure from the Old Trafford club earlier in the month, the England international has been on a world-wide tour that has seen him party with Chris Brown, Neymar and Paul Pogba, while he tours the United States as an unofficial TikTok influencer or fashion ambassador.
However, while the 29-year-old forward may be enjoying some time off to reflect on this point in his career, the question over where he moves next remains as open as ever. As a free agent, Lingard could sign for a number of clubs, but surely the England forward will want to think long and hard about whether he should aim too high and end up sitting on the bench at another European giant or settle too low and wither into irrelevance. In what could be the final big move of his career, Lingard has a number of choices but will have to make sure he picks the correct one.
England or Italy – Where next for Lingard?
According to the Athletic, West Ham remain in pole position to sign Lingard and have already opened talks with the former Old Trafford favourite. The publication claims that discussions are already in early states no offer has been made yet, but David Moyes’ side would be extremely eager to sign the player, following his impressive loan spell at the London club during the 2020/21 Premier League season. The Hammers may have faced continued interest from Newcastle United, who were reportedly keen on signing Lingard back in January. However, the newly-acquired club now seem to have bigger targets in mind this summer and haven’t been linked with the England forward with the same ferocity as we saw six months ago.
Lukaku, Pogba and Ronaldo: Manchester United’s most valuable departures
However, that’s not to say that West Ham are set to sign Lingard entirely unopposed. According to a report from ESPN in May, both AC Milan and Juventus were leading the case to sign the 29-year-old talent and could yet tempt the player away from the bright lights of England towards a more enticing adventure in Serie A. However, like the Newcastle rumours, such reports have since gone cold.
Homepage
