Jesse Lingard’s football career has been left in transfer limbo as Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq are not able to sign the midfielder following a trial at the club.
The 30-year-old has been a free agent ever since leaving Nottingham Forest at the end of last season and has spent the time since searching for a new club.
The midfielder has been training with Al-Ettifaq of late but the Saudi club are unable to complete his signing due to the foreign players’ rule in the nation, reports the Mirror.
Domestic rules state that Saudi Pro League clubs can only have a maximum of eight foreign players in their matchday squad – but Ettifaq already have 10, before the possibility of incorporating Lingard.
Two of the club’s non-Saudi players would have to be released by January to accommodate the former England international in their squad, which is an unlikely scenario.
This puts Lingard in a difficult position as there is no clear route for the player to go. The Englishman spent the summer training with West Ham and rejected the chance to sign a short-term contract which was on the table for the midfielder.
Lingard enjoyed a fruitful spell with the London club during a 2021 loan move but never returned after that.
The former Man United star has now trained with two MLS clubs, alongside the Hammers and Al-Ettifaq, with a transfer unlikely to happen with any of them.
Should Of stayed at West Ham
Why doesn’t he just retire. No one wants him. He thinks more of himself than anyone else does. He’s a spent force. Far too greedy.