In a recent report, Eurosport claimed that Manchester United playmaker Jesse Lingard is on West Ham United’s radar ahead of the January transfer window. It is understood that the Red Devils outcast’s representatives are looking at the possibility of his winter departure from Old Trafford with the Hammers in a favourable position to land him.
Lingard’s Growing Frustrations In English Football This Season
Lingard has found game time hard to come by at the Theatre of Dreams after receiving 63 minutes of competitive action in Premier League football. Still, the 28-year-old deserves some credit for scoring two goals and grabbing one assist in eight appearances for Man United this season on all fronts.
The Warrington-born attacker has seen most of his playing minutes off the bench which is why he is averaging 0.6 shots, 0.4 key passes and 0.2 dribbles per 90 minutes in the English top-flight. He has distributed the ball really well based on his pass completion rate of 94.9% in league football (stats via whoscored).
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Should Manchester United Cut Lingard Loose This January?
On his day, Lingard can be an excellent playmaker in the opposition half as he can set up some promising chances for others around him. He excels at generating space for himself and can be a delight to watch when he is running at full swing with the ball from midfield.
The England international can chip in with a few important goals and assists in the final third and usually takes care of the ball when linking up play with his teammates in and around the opponent’s penalty box.
Currently, Lingard is surplus to requirements at Old Trafford as he has fallen behind Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s pecking order.
At 28, the English sensation is playing at his prime, so it is only fair to the player if Man United cuts him loose when the transfer window reopens at the start of next year. Unless Solskjaer changes his stance on Lingard, the Red Devils head coach should consider cashing in on him so that he can re-invest the money generated from his sale to strengthen other areas of their match-day squad.
