Why Jesse Lingard still doesn't have a new club | OneFootball

Highlights

It wasn't that long ago that Jesse Lingard was considered one of the most exciting talents in the Premier League. After establishing himself as a first-team regular for Manchester United, having come through the club's academy, the Englishman would have plenty of headline-grabbing moments.

Most notably, he bagged the winning goal for the Red Devils in their 2016 FA Cup Final triumph against Crystal Palace. He would go on to make 232 appearances for United, scoring 35 goals and providing 21 assists in this time. However, his career at Old Trafford stagnated at times, but after a difficult spell, he kick-started his career with a brief but electric loan to West Ham United in January 2021.

Spending just half a season with the Hammers, Lingard reminded everyone of his quality as he scored nine times and picked up five assists in 16 games for the east London outfit. Perhaps unwisely, he then returned to Man Utd but struggled for minutes once again the following season and finally left the club in the summer of 2022 when his contract expired.

He ended up at Nottingham Forest but that didn't go well either, leaving him without a club after just one year. With that being the case, GIVEMESPORT has delved into what led him to join the newly promoted side, what went wrong, what has happened to Lingard in the time since, and what he is doing now.

We aren't the only ones to take an interest in the player of late, it seems, as some Man Utd legends appear to be growing tired of watching the academy product's talent go to waste. For instance, Paul Scholes went on Instagram to brutally pose a question about the player's plans, which you can read below.

Woeful season at Nottingham Forest

Last played in April 2023

In July 2022, Lingard signed for Nottingham Forest on a one-year contract, becoming their highest-paid player. Just 12 months later, he would be released. Despite raking in basic wages of £115k per week plus incentives, the midfielder would fail to score or claim an assist in 17 Premier League appearances.

He has not actually kicked a ball professionally since leaving Forest. Ironically enough, his last appearance on a football pitch came in a league match against Man United on 16 April 2023 as he came off the bench for two minutes in a 2-0 defeat; he last started a game on 11 March 2023, when he was hooked at halftime during a 3-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur; and he has not played for England since a 5-0 win vs Andora in October 2021.

Had offers from Newcastle and Fulham

Turned down two-year contract at Forest

Before joining Forest, Lingard had alternative options too which could have turned out better. As per The Athletic, both Newcastle United and Fulham were interested, with four-year deals under discussion. Seeing as the Magpies came fourth that year, and the Cottagers 10th, with Forest struggling at the bottom of the table for most of the season (but ultimately avoiding the drop in 16th), the 31-year-old may have flourished in better-performing teams.

Of course, he couldn't predict the future, so you can't entirely blame Lingard for ending up at a weaker team. But what is less understandable is the fact that he also turned down a two-year contract offer from Forest. He and his advisers felt that after a strong year with the Premier League side, he would be in a great position to take the next step in his career as a free agent the following summer. This did not play out as planned, though, with the Englishman's poor displays ultimately leaving him unemployed when his one-year deal expired.

Trained with West Ham and Al Ettifaq

Having failed to find a new club in the summer of 2023, West Ham allowed Lingard to train with them in the early stages of the new season. David Moyes told TalkSport in September: “Jesse has trained with us for three weeks and he’s improved greatly from when he first came in".

Nothing ever came from this though and the same can be said of his time in Saudi Arabia. Plenty of big names have ended up in the Middle East of late and it looked as though the former Red Devil could be another. After leaving the Hammers, he joined Al Ettifaq to train with the club for one month. The idea was for Steven Gerrard and co to assess the possibility of signing him permanently but it seems that didn't go to plan either.

What Lingard is doing now

Training alone in Dubai

A cursory look at Lingard's Instagram profile will tell you that he has been training alone recently, trying to keep himself fit in Dubai. In his latest post, he added the caption: "Non stop. We keep on pushing". While he also included an image of a sign which read: "If it makes you happy it doesn't have to make sense to others."

Perhaps this sign best explains his current situation as he could have compromised if he really wanted to join just any club. After all, Wolves, other unnamed Premier League clubs, and an Italian side have all discussed his availability but the 31-year-old seems content enough to bide his time, stick to his demands, and wait for the perfect offer.

Lingard transfer news

MLS and Everton linked

Throughout his time as a free agent, one big recurring rumour has been the idea that he could head to America to join an MLS club. D.C. United where linked with Lingard in September 2023 when Wayne Rooney was in charge but with the player "seeking a long-term guaranteed contract" nothing came to pass once again.

Rumours of a move to that part of the world persist but the player will have to be patient if he is keen on playing in the USA as the 2024 MLS campaign will not get underway until February. Back in England, there has been talk of late that Everton could offer him a short-term deal until the end of the season but it remains to be seen if he wants a return to Premier League football.

His situation is best summed up by sources referenced by Tifo Football, which explained: "It is more about waiting for the deal that suits him best, rather than feeling compelled or pressured to accept whatever comes his way." With that in mind, it feels as though – despite his ever-increasing time spent without a club – Lingard isn't panicking about his future just yet.