Manchester United winger Jesse Lingard is reportedly negotiating a new deal with the club after the uncertainty following Louis van Gaal’s sacking has cleared.
The 23-year-old played in Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Wigan, as he continues the process of trying to impress Jose Mourinho and earn his spot in the starting line-up in the upcoming season.
According to The Mirror, it looks as though he’ll receive a major boost ahead of the campaign as contract talks are back on the table after being shelved following Van Gaal’s exit from the club at the end of last season, with a new £40,000-a-week deal being reported.
Mourinho is said to have given the green light for negotiations to go on, and it will be welcome news for Lingard who was attracting interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and West Ham United earlier this month, as noted by the Mirror.
Nevertheless, despite the benefit of being tied down to a long-term deal with improved terms, it remains to be seen whether or not the forward continues to play a prominent role for United under Mourinho.
Last season, the Warrington native made 40 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals and producing four assists as he emerged as an important part of Van Gaal’s preferred line-up.
However, he’ll face increased competition this year following the arrivals of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and in particular Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with Mourinho potentially reshuffling his attacking options.
Coupled with the fact that the Portuguese coach has insisted that Wayne Rooney will not be deployed in a deeper midfield role, Lingard certainly faces a battle to secure a regular place in the starting line-up with or without a new contract.