Grande
Full Member
I still see it as unlikely that Lingard will leave this year, unless he lands a long-term contract with a PL club not too far away in physical distance from Manchester.
I believe Italy is out of the question for many seasons more.
Most likely he'll stay till next summer, hope his extension is triggered as a loyal backup, if not then next summer find a club in the Midlands area willing to sign him on a free.
This due his family obligations that I described in the post below from May.
(That said, as things are now I definitely wouldn't mind if he leaves soon, just seems unlikely to me.)
It’s strange now to think that Jesse was a very popular figure at the club for years, a bit of a Cinderella story as the late bloomer and the unlikely choice from a youth setup that saw Morrison, Pogba and Januszaj come and go. Lingard also proved surprisingly useful under different managers while bigger names flattered to deceive. His attitude was mainly lauded. To think now he was our second top scorer the season we won the Europa league and Mickey Mouse cup, now as it appears necessary to explain to different people why he is not a parasite or somehow gulty of United’s table position - eell, it’s strange.
A boy who by continuing to work harder than teammates with bigger talent, who by refusing to give up as others changed clubs for playing times etc, saved the club the millions of pounds it would cost buying a squad player and England international. He might owe the club, but the club owes him even more.
I’d love to see him get back to his previous self, he would be a brilliant squad member if so. If not, he is not a player we will have lost on either way.