A Jesse Lingard loan away from Manchester United may well be a genuine possibility in January.
Just a couple of days ago, we covered a story from the Daily Star, which claimed that United were looking to extend Lingard’s contract.
Well, it seems as though the Old Trafford club are merely looking to protect their asset, as opposed to seeing the Englishman as a vital cog in their long-term plans.
That’s because the 27-year-old’s representatives are ‘exploring’ January loan options away from Manchester United, according to Sky Sports News. Apparently, initial talks with Real Sociedad have been held already, with the La Liga side just ‘one of the clubs’ seemingly keen on signing Lingard on a short-term deal.
Lingard’s current United deal expires next summer, though the Reds do hold the option to extend that contract by a further year. You’d imagine that clause will be triggered sooner rather than later.
If you think about it, a Lingard loan away from United was an inevitability. He’s featured twice this season, with both appearances coming in the Carabao Cup. Simply put, he’s not a regular starter anymore.
It’s a two-way street, too. Sure, United will want to move on and get Lingard’s wages off the books. For the player himself, he just wants to play football. United cannot offer him that anymore.
So what now for Lingard?
Sociedad would be a good short-term option. It’d allow Lingard to get away from the English media for six months, while he can fix his attentions solely on playing the game he loves.
Playing for United comes with an unreal amount of pressure. Unfortunately, he hasn’t performed over the last couple of years. But that doesn’t make him a bad player.
Leave on loan in January, rediscover your form and potential buyers will be queueing up to acquire his services next summer. Then from there, Lingard will undoubtedly get his career back on track.
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