Manchester United reportedly have no intentions of letting Jesse Lingard leave the club this month, amid serious interest from Tottenham Hotspur.
According to an update from talkSPORT’s transfer guru Alex Crook, Manchester United will rebuff any approach from Tottenham Hotspur and any other clubs over the possibility of signing Jesse Lingard in the ongoing window.
A product of the Manchester United academy, Lingard has fallen down the pecking order under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer over the past couple of seasons. Having been a regular during the early phases of the Norwegian’s tenure, the Englishman has now been reduced to a peripheral figure who hasn’t started a Premier League game in ages.
Indeed, Lingard has played just three games this term, with all of them coming in the cup competitions. Despite him not featuring in the team a great deal, Manchester United triggered a one-year extension in his contract in order to further his stay at the club till the summer of 2022.
Having done that, there have been no indications that Solskjaer is looking to reintegrate him into his plans. This has led to a flurry of interest in his services, with a host of clubs from the Premier League as well as France and Portugal plotting a move for the England international. Among those clubs are Tottenham Hotspur.
The Lilywhites are staring at the prospect of losing Dele Alli to Paris Saint-Germain this month, with the 24-year-old having fallen out of favour under manager Jose Mourinho. Should the Englishman end up leaving, Tottenham will need to bring in a replacement as they look to compete on all four fronts, leading to the interest in Lingard.
The North London giants had shown an interest in signing Lingard back in the summer as well, but no move had materialised. And, it seems like nothing will come of their wish to sign the attacking midfielder in the mid-season trading period, as Manchester United have no intentions to trim the squad as they eye a push for the league title.
“West Ham, Tottenham, and Sheffield United have all expressed an interest. We know about Nice, Porto have also been mentioned to me, but Manchester United’s stance hasn’t really changed. Despite the fact that Lingard isn’t part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans, he’s reluctant to trim his squad,” Crook said.
“So I think this is one that will go right to the end of the window when Solskjaer can assess his squad, see who’s fit and see if he can let Lingard go out and play football.” So, it seems like Tottenham, along with the other clubs mentioned are set to face disappointment in their pursuit of the 28-year-old in the January transfer window.