Ex-Man Utd midfielder Lingard ‘set for shock move to South Korea’ after rejecting Saudi, Turkey | OneFootball

Jesse Lingard before a match.

Former Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard is ‘set to make a shock move to South Korea’, according to Pete O’Rourke.

Lingard has been without a club since last June after his Nottingham Forest contract expired.

Since leaving the City Ground, he has been training in Saudi Arabia to keep fit amidst talk of a move to Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq.

A move to Major League Soccer has also been mooted but Lingard has never appeared to be close to joining a club since leaving Forest.

The latest rumour has seen him linked with a move to South Korea.

Transfer journalist O’Rourke revealed Lingard’s plans on X. He said: ‘Understand former Manchester United and Nottingham Forest midfielder Jesse Lingard is set to make a shock move to South Korea!’

O’Rourke did not mention a club or even what tier of South Korean football Lingard is planning to play but it has been reported by Sky Sports that the 31-year-old will sign for FC Seoul.

The report says Lingard will fly out ‘in the coming days’ to pen a two-year contract with the option for a third.

He was reportedly ‘intrigued the most’ by a move to South Korea after turning down offers from Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

After leaving Manchester United as a free agent in the summer of 2022, the ex-England international was highly sought after.

West Ham wanted to sign Lingard but he ended up signing a one-year deal at Nottingham Forest, a contract he probably regrets now.

He failed to impress in 20 appearances for Forest, scoring two goals and providing as many assists.

Lingard played 232 times for Manchester United and has six goals in 32 caps for England.

His most successful spell came on loan at West Ham in the second half of the 2020/21 campaign.

The Hammers recently completed the loan signing of Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips and David Moyes said he is hoping the England man can have a similar impact as Lingard did in 2021.

“His pedigree over the years has made me feel he’s a player I’d like to have at the club,” Moyes told a press conference.

“For some time he’s been a mainstay of the England national team. He’s someone who has been a really good player. The move to City hasn’t worked as well as he would have liked.

“This time a couple of years ago we got Jesse Lingard, he really helped us. I’m hoping Kalvin can have a similar impact as what Jesse had.”

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