Jesse Lingard is willing to ask Manchester United to let him leave in January unless they exercise their option on him before the end of the year, TEAMtalk can reveal.
The England international has recently sunk the pecking order at United. He has yet to start a Premier League game this season. Indeed, Lingard has only two League Cup outings to his name so far this term.
Despite his inactivity, the 27-year-old is attracting a lot of interest from Premier League rivals. With his contract ending in the summer, United retains a 12-month option on the midfielder. However, unless that is extended, Lingard will be free to leave as a freelancer in the summer.
He said goodbye to super agent Mino Raiola earlier this year.
Nevertheless, we understand that more than half a dozen top clubs are enthusiastic about Lingard. He was mentioned as a possible target for Aston Villa last month, while Everton and West Brom have also been linked in the past. Tottenham, led by former United boss Jose Mourinho, has also been touted as suitors.
We can reveal that Lingard has interest from abroad too, with teams from Germany, Spain and Italy. Our sources have also told us that both Old Firm giants Celtic and Rangers are investigating the possibility of taking Lingard north of the border.
However, it remains to be seen whether United will use their option to tie him to their beloved Red Devils until 2022.
It has been made clear to us that Lingard himself has no problem staying and fighting for his place. However, he has made it clear to the United Chiefs that he wants to know what they are up to within a month.
For their part, United is considering whether to let Lingard leave in January or sign him to a new 12-month deal. In fact, any option to extend his deal could be made to protect his valuation in the transfer market. Hence, the club could look to renew its deal, but still try to discharge it in the next few windows.
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Lingard starts with United’s fight
Lingard’s struggle this season follows a troubled 2019/20 season in which he made just nine Premier League starts.
Discussing his issues earlier this year, Lingard insisted he wanted to fight for his United future.
“I never wanted to give up,” Lingard continued Instagram. “I knew who I really was on and off the field.
‘Because I got there before I knew I could get there again. It meant I had to work harder than I ever had. “
In his latest post on social media, Lingard acknowledged the fans’ “frustrations” but said his “love for this club and everyone associated with it has never left me”.
“This team, this club is my family and I will continue to work harder than ever to help this team achieve its goals,” he added.
Lingard revealed that Solskjaer had told him he had his “last chance.” That followed an incident on social media last summer.
‘I didn’t perform and he [Solskjaer] was on me all the time. He wanted more from me, ”he said.
READ MORE: Troubled Man Utd man ‘punished’ by Solskjaer and left out against West Ham
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