Lingard ‘on way out’ as contract talks falter
JESSE Lingard’s future could be away from Old Trafford, according to reports.
That comes after contract negotiations between representatives of the two are understood to have broken down – with the 28-year-old’s contract expiring in the summer.
Lingard fired his way into Gareth Southgate’s European Championship’s preliminary squad last summer after a successful loan spell with West Ham United.
Although he missed out on the full squad that made the Euro 2020 final, the Hammers made an effort to make his temporary stint in East London permanent, something United resisted.
As a result, Lingard was included in the United squad for the upcoming season but he has found his opportunities few and far between, despite scoring the winning goal against the Londoners in a 2-1 win, with Mark Noble seeing his late penalty saved.
BBC Sport say that he is one of the players left ‘confused’ by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s decision not to select him as they look to steer back on track after a terrible run.
In their report they say: “It is understood that under the circumstances, Lingard, who has been with United since he was seven, sees little point in seeking further talks and will hope to secure a loan move in January.”
With opportunities scarce in Manchester for Lingard, as well as his latest omission from Gareth Southgate’s England squad, his lack of playing time will severely hamper his ambitions of featuring in future call-ups ahead of the World Cup next November.
Meanwhile, Diogo Dalot continues to be linked with AS Roma.
Reports in Italy from Corriere dello Sport say ‘contact started a long time ago’ as Jose Mourinho pushes for a reunion with his Portuguese compatriot after bringing him to Old Trafford in 2018.
As with Lingard, Dalot has struggled for first-team minutes under Solskjaer and is looking for opportunities away from the Theatre of Dreams - similar to his AC Milan stint last season.
Roma have struggled for consistency, prompting the Premier League-winning boss to seek reinforcements in the upcoming January transfer window, with the Reds full-back among those checked out.