It appears that Jesse Lingard’s struggle to find a team to play in for the remainder of the 2023/24 season may soon be at an end.
He’s been training with Al Ettifaq of the Saudi Pro League, however, it’s believed that manager, Steven Gerrard, is struggling with his allocation of foreign players.
Lingard was released by Nottingham Forest at the end of the 2022/23 campaign after a disappointing season for the former Man United ace.
Almost a month spent training with West Ham during the close season and beyond didn’t elicit a contract offer from the east Londoners, which is why Lingard chose to try his luck out in Saudi Arabia like many of his contemporaries.
According to ESPN, Al Ettifaq is still the most likely destination for the player as Gerrard will ensure that space is made in his squad for the 30-year-old to join permanently.
That will bring to an end a saga that has rumbled on for a few months and threatened to see Lingard either lose his livelihood completely or potentially be forced to drop down a league or two in order to resurrect his career.
There’s a cogent argument that a player who once had it all for club and country has now found his level, but that’s a damning indictment on the player’s fitness levels and application.