-
Rob DawsonCorresponding
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sanctioned Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard loan during the January transfer window and the final decision now rests with the club’s board, sources told ESPN.
Solskjaer has been looking to keep Lingard at Old Trafford before a busy second half of the season, but, after conversations with the midfielder, he agreed that he should be allowed to travel to find a regular starting football.
– Broadcast ESPN FC Daily on ESPN + (U.S. only)
– ESPN + viewer guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more
Despite significant interest from abroad, Lingard, 28, wants to stay in the Premier League and Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion are among the various suitors.
English coach Gareth Southgate and assistant Steve Holland gave great references to several coaches after Lingard played a key role in the race for the 2018 World Cup semifinals.
The final decision on Lingard’s immediate future should be made in the coming days. Lingard found opportunities difficult to find this season, acting three times and starting twice.
Their two matches were in the cups, against Luton in the Carabao Cup in September and against Watford in the FA Cup earlier this month. He has not yet played in the Premier League this season and was last included on the match day team for a league match against Aston Villa on New Year’s Day.
United started a one-year extension to Lingard’s contract before Christmas, which will keep him at the club until 2022, but he is desperate for starting football and has asked for permission to leave on loan.
He has scored 33 goals in 210 games for United since joining the academy and made his debut with Louis van Gaal in 2014. He scored crucial goals in the FA Cup 2016 final under Van Gaal and in the 2017 League Cup final under Jose Mourinho.
Capped 24 times by England, sources told ESPN that Southgate and the Netherlands want Lingard to have regular games and put themselves in contention for the national team again.