Serie A duo AC Milan and Juventus are reportedly leading the chase for Jesse Lingard, who will leave Manchester United in the summer on a free transfer.
According to ESPN, AC Milan and Juventus are at the front of the queue of clubs chasing Jesse Lingard in the summer. The Manchester United attacking midfielder is available on a free transfer when his contract expires in the summer, and there is considerable interest, particularly from the Premier League.
Jesse Lingard has suffered a terrible time at Manchester United and would be hoping for the season to end as soon as possible. The Red Devils’ academy graduate has made over 230 senior appearances for the club, winning the League Cup, FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League.
Since his successful loan spell at West Ham United from January to June of 2021, the attacking midfielder has struggled to get regular game time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Ralf Rangnick. He also saw a late move to Newcastle United collapse at the very end of the January window.
As things stand, Lingard will depart Manchester United on a free transfer when his contract expires in June. There are clubs interested in acquiring him, with Newcastle United tipped to sign him when the window opens.
However, there is considerable interest from Serie A clubs, with Juventus and AC Milan considered frontrunners for his signature. The Italian sides are keen on adding a player of Lingard’s qualities and the financial feasibility of the deal attracts them towards considering a move.
Milan are yet to properly replace Hakan Calhanoglu, who joined rivals Inter Milan at the start of the season. Despite leading the Serie A title chase by a small margin, the Rossoneri have missed a creative spark in their side, with Brahim Diaz struggling to engineer chances in the side. Lingard could help address that for Milan, while also adding a source of goals.
Meanwhile, Juventus are on the verge of revamping their squad in midfield and attacking options. While they have sights on Jorginho from Chelsea to solve their central midfield problems, Lingard could be considered for a role in the final third.
The Bianconeri also have space in the squad as Paulo Dybala is set to depart in the summer. Although Lingard is not a direct replacement for the Argentine attacker, he could add some dynamism to their attacking play while his versatile nature would come in handy for the Turin giants.
As things stand, Lingard might prefer to stay in the Premier League as he eyes a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the FIFA World Cup later this year. However, if the interest from English clubs does not match his ambitions, a move abroad could become a possibility.