Manchester United winger Jesse Lingard, 28, is a talented attacking player, in the prime of his career. However, he’s part of a very crowded attacking midfield/final third position group, where major minutes are very hard to come by.
He’s been linked with a move to FC Barcelona, among other clubs, after having had a dominant loan spell this past spring at West Ham United. It was thought he might move on from Old Trafford this summer, but instead he stayed put, and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says the Englishman is part of the club’s future plans.
Manchester United at Leicester City FYIs
Kickoff: Sat Oct 16, 3pm, King Power Stadium
United Starting XI Prediction: go here
Early Team News: go here and also here
PL Position: Manchester United 4th, 14 pts Leicester City 13th, 8pts
Form Guide: Manchester United DLWWW Leicester City DDLLW
Odds: Manchester United 23/20 Draw 11/4 Leicester City 8/3
The Norwegian even said that the club is working on finalizing a long term deal for the player.
“Jesse’s had a good start to the season,” Solskjaer told a news conference on Friday.
“He’s come on and scored a few goals for us that’s been very important for us. We want to prolong his contract, we see him as an important player for us.
“It’s up to him and maybe up to me to give him more playing time because he deserves to. Hopefully, we can get a deal sorted for Jesse because we really rate him.”
There you have, it appears that Jesse Lingard isn’t going anywhere.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
He co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.