I got it wrong on Gareth Bale returning from Real Madrid, but I’ve called out nonsense surrounding the Wilfried Zaha-to-Tottenham links and will do the same with Jesse Lingard. We have enough wide men in our first-team squad and won’t sign mediocre talent for over-the-odds.
Despite this fact, the Daily Star say we’re are interested in the 27-year-old as Jose Mourinho believes he can turn his career around. Lingard is struggling for form and playing time at Manchester United, but the Daily Star think we’re considering a £30m deal to bring him to North London? It makes no sense.
Lingard isn’t good enough
The England international has gone on to make 207 appearances in all competitions since rising through the youth ranks to United’s first-team, scoring 33 goals with 20 assists. Lingard has really declined over the last 12 months which is why he’s fallen out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
He’s scored only one goal in his last 42 Premier League games and hasn’t made an assist in his last 36. It’s hard to see why we would pay £30m to sign an unwanted playmaker not doing his job on the pitch. Mourinho would never.
Lingard started only 20/40 games in all competitions last season and was substituted on 15 occasions. He amassed only 931 minutes of Premier League football and started just once in the top-flight this year. The 27-year-old’s stock couldn’t be lower right now and he wouldn’t be an improvement on what we already have, so what’s the point?
Too much competition at Tottenham
We’ve just signed Gareth Bale on loan from Real Madrid and he’ll join an already overstocked attack of Heung-min Son, Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn and Erik Lamela. Jack Clarke is still on the books with us too, so Lingard would have too many players to get in.
Money is tight this summer and we have to sell unwanted and out-of-favour players to generate funds – Danny Rose, Juan Foyth, Serge Aurier etc. It would be reckless and irresponsible to pay so much money for Lingard given how his career is spiralling in Manchester, so I can’t see this one going anywhere.
In other news, where is Gedson Fernandes and will he play for Tottenham this season?