Manchester United are reportedly seeking £12 million for the services of West Ham United, Newcastle United and Southampton target Jesse Lingard.
According to Turkish football journalist Ekrem Konur, Manchester United are willing to cash in on Jesse Lingard in the upcoming January transfer window. It appears the Premier League giants are keen on preventing the playmaker from leaving the club for free next summer when his contract comes to an end.
As such, Manchester United have placed a £12 million price tag on Lingard, who is courted by multiple clubs across the Premier League, including Newcastle United and Southampton. Recent reports had suggested West Ham United were re-entering the market for the Englishman, with David Moyes eyeing a January reunion.
Lingard himself is keen on putting an end to his Old Trafford misery, having once again struggled with a lack of game-time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
After making an impression with West Ham during the second half of the 2020/21 campaign, Lingard had hoped to win the trust of the Norwegian. As a result, he opted to stay put at Manchester United in the summer, snubbing a permanent move to West Ham in the process.
But three months into the new season, the Englishman has featured in only 63 minutes of Premier League action. He is well behind Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba in the pecking order, while the summer arrival of Jadon Sancho has not helped either. Hence, the playmaker could soon be on the verge of departing Old Trafford, with a return to West Ham seemingly a possibility.
The Hammers, though, are set to face stiff competition from Newcastle United in the pursuit of Lingard. After hiring Eddie Howe as their new manager, the Magpies will be hoping to bag a few proven Premier League talents in the upcoming January transfer window in order to further strengthen their ranks.
Lingard fits the bill well due to his success at West Ham as well as his experience at the highest level of football. Indeed, the Manchester United star has over 150 Premier League appearances to his name while winning 32 caps for the English national team. And for a fee of just £12 million, he could turn out to be an absolute bargain for Newcastle and West Ham.
However, it will be interesting to see whether Manchester United opt to raise their asking price of Lingard, knowing there will be multiple clubs battling it out to secure his services this January.