Big European clubs are already circling around Jesse Lingard after the forward recently rejected a contract offer from Manchester United. According to ESPN’s Rob Dawson, Lingard has a growing list of admirers, with La Liga powerhouse Barcelona and Seria A team AC Milan being among them.
Lingard is currently in the last year of his contract with Man Utd and is unwilling to extend it due to his secondary role on the team. The 28-year-old star wants regular playing time in order to make England’s squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and is already has one foot out the door.
This put other clubs on notice, especially because they don’t have to pay a transfer fee for Lingard when he becomes a free agent next summer. He can negotiate with clubs outside England starting January 1st but would have to wait until June if he wants to remain in Premier League.
Barcelona and Milan are prepared to use their head start and will likely approach the player as soon as allowed. Lingard himself is reportedly attracted by the prospects of playing in Spain and Italy but will ask for playing time guarantees before making a final decision.
Lingard has been sparsely used by United’s manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021-22, playing in only three Premier League matches as a substitute. Despite this and the fact that he only played 45 minutes in total, he managed to score two goals.
