Newcastle United have not given up hope of signing Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard.
That’s according to a recent report from 90min, who claims the English attacking midfielder could yet seal a late transfer to St James’ Park.
Despite being with the Red Devils for his whole career, Lingard, 29, has seen his standing within the club worsen over time.
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Resigned to nothing more than a bit-part role, the English midfielder, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season, now faces an agonising wait to learn if he’ll be allowed to spend the remainder of the season out on loan.
Despite earlier attempts to sign Lingard appearing to die out, renewed hope has been offered to the Magpies, who have remained in contact with the Red Devils, with all parties now understood to be growing in confidence that an agreement can be reached.
CaughtOffside’s Verdict
Although Lingard is unlikely to join Newcastle United on a permanent transfer, securing six months or so of regular first-team football will put him in good stead when it comes to assessing his options once his contract expires.
Should Lingard seal a very late move, not only will the 29-year-old rack up some much-needed playing time but Newcastle United’s chances of survival will undoubtedly be increased.
While the winners of the saga look set to be the player and Eddie Howe’s side, Manchester United must be feeling embarrassed after appearing to needlessly drag out a deal that really should have been quite straightforward.
From Lingard’s point of view, if his proposed switch to Newcastle United ends up being finalised in time, his biggest challenge will be performing well enough to return to Gareth Southgate’s England squad ahead of this summer’s Qatar World Cup 2022.