Real Madrid are reportedly closely watching the situation of Manchester United star Jesse Lingard, who has been in sensational form for loan club West Ham.
According to a report from ESPN, reigning La Liga champions Real Madrid have entered the race for the signing of Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard and are closely monitoring developments around his current situation.
Lingard, 28, is a product of the Manchester United academy. The attacking midfielder made his first-team breakthrough during the 2014/15 campaign under Louis van Gaal after several loan spells away and established himself as a regular from the following season onwards.
Almost an ever-present figure under van Gaal’s successor, Jose Mourinho, Lingard grew into an important player for the Red Devils, scoring crucial goals along the way. However, things had been going downhill for the Englishman over the past eighteen months or so.
While he had been a regular early in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure, poor and inconsistent form along with off-the-field problems led to a steep decline in his stature as Lingard became pretty much a squad player at best. The arrival of Bruno Fernandes in January last year further hampered his game-time. And having hardly played in the first half of the 2020/21 season, the 28-year-old made the switch to West Ham in January.
Since joining the East London outfit, though, Lingard has found his mojo back and is the most in-form player in the Premier League currently. Indeed, in nine appearances for West Ham, the 28-year-old has plundered eight goals and four assists, forcing his way back into the England national team as well in the process. No player has managed more in the Premier League since he made his debut for the Hammers.
Lingard’s return to prominence over the past few months has turned a lot of heads. While West Ham themselves are desperate to make his transfer permanent in the summer, recent reports have claimed that former manager Mourinho wants him at Tottenham while Leicester City have also been credited with an interest.
More recently, even Arsenal have been linked with a move for the Manchester United academy graduate. And the latest club to enter the fray for his signing are Real Madrid. The Merengues head into the summer needing reinforcements in the attacking midfield region given as the futures of Isco as well as Martin Odegaard, who is currently out on loan at Arsenal, are unclear.
Throw in Lingard’s versatility and Zinedine Zidane could have an extremely handy player with years of top level experience at his disposal. Add to it, the 28-year-old is entering the final year of his contract with Manchester United which could lead to him being available for a knockdown price. To that end, Real Madrid are closely monitoring the England international.
Apart from Los Blancos, runaway Serie A leaders Inter Milan as well as current French champions PSG are also keeping tabs on the Manchester United loanee’s situation. It seems like Lingard will have no shortage of suitors at the end of the season if he chooses to leave Old Trafford permanently. It will be interesting to see what the England international decides in the coming months.