Kevin Phillips has told Everton to make their move for Jesse Lingard, claiming it is a no-brainer to sign the Manchester United attacker.
In an interview with Football Insider, Kevin Phillips has had his say about recent rumours linking Everton with Jesse Lingard. The ex-Sunderland striker has urged the Toffees to launch the offensive for the Manchester United ace, claiming it should be a no-brainer to sign him.
Jesse Lingard has been with Manchester United since 2000, having joined the club’s youth setup aged just eight. Since then, he has come leaps and bounds, although the Englishman has not been a regular fixture bar a couple of seasons.
The 28-year-old has suffered a dip in stature since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took charge of the first-team at Old Trafford nearly three years ago. Lingard’s lowest ebb came in the first half of last season, as he barely featured before joining West Ham United on loan in January for the remainder of the campaign.
The player excelled to no end at West Ham, helping them secure a top-six finish last term. Lingard, though, stayed put at Manchester United in the summer, even though West Ham wanted to sign him permanently. Since then, the interest in him has sky-rocketed, with Everton among the clubs keen on signing him.
There is a suggestion that Lingard could be on his way out of Manchester United in a January transfer window yet again, having managed just 154 minutes of action so far this season. And Kevin Phillips has told Everton to make their move for the English attacker.
In an interview with Football Insider, Phillips said, “It’s almost a no-brainer in my opinion. What he did at West Ham was phenomenal. Whichever club signs him, if he does leave United, is getting a top-quality player.”
“He’s so effective in the final third. He can finish. I think he’d be a big asset to any football club. A lot of Premier League teams will be looking at him but he would fit in well at Everton. Geographically, it would make a lot of sense as well.”
If widespread reports are to be believed, Everton are leading the race to sign Lingard. The 28-year-old will be well-served with a switch to Goodison Park, where he will likely be an indispensable figure if he can recreate his heroics from the spell with West Ham. What remains to be seen is if the Toffees do launch the offensive for the Manchester United ace this winter or if some other club lands him instead.
