What The Future Holds For Jesse Lingard And Manchester United?

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Manchester United have made some good and important business in this past summer transfer window. The arrivals of Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo are there to immediately improve the starting XI, while Jadon Sancho has the potential to be one of the best players in Europe. His start at Old Trafford has not been ideal, but the youngster is still getting accustomed to the new club and new league, after shining in the Bundesliga.

However, there are still very important talking points around the club and that is about players whose contracts are set to expire next summer. The main story, obviously, is that surrounding Paul Pogba, as the Frenchman is still thinking about his next moves. He could leave the club on a free transfer and possibly join Real Madrid, which has been the storyline in the media for quite some time now. The way this season will go for Man United could be the crucial argument for Frenchman to stay at the club, if he sees some big progress in the team. But he is not the only player contemplating his next move.

That is also the case with Jesse Lingard. The England international also has his contract with Man United running through June 2022 and he is also unsure about what he should do.

What Should Lingard Do?

A big question here is for Lingard to decide whether he wants to stay at Man United and fight for his place in the team, which will probably not be so easy to get for a foreseeable future, especially with stars like Bruno Fernandes in the team. Looking from that point of view, it does not seem so complicated for Lingard to sit and wait for his contract to run out. He is 29 and it is reasonable for him to look for his options. Lingard is not young anymore to go on loans and he wants to be an important part of the team he plays for. With United evolving, it seems that place for him at Old Trafford will be tough to get.

Another important reason why Lingard should go is that in this post-COVID football, players who can be signed on a free transfer have even more power. Clubs like Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter and others, they are all looking for these deals, since their financial situations are far from great. Players like Lingard could have more options than they usually would and not only he could get a great deal financially since there is no transfer fee to be paid, he could also get to a better club.

What Should Man United Do?

Man United are not in a great situation, because keeping Lingard could be a good option in terms of squad rotation, which is not something the player is to eager about. With Lingard in this team, a different set of skills would still be available, yet, keeping an unhappy player for few more years would be a problem. Ideal solution of Lingard signing a new deal and then possibly bringing in a transfer fee once he is sold does not seem so realistic, either. The club should try to keep him, but not try and indulge all of his wishes – if Lingard is ready to leave anyway, then so be it.

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