Jesse Lingard looks like he has reached a decision on his Manchester United future, despite planned talks with new First team Manager Erik ten Hag.
The 29-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and is yet to reach any sort of agreement over extending that arrangement beyond this summer. Lingard looked destined for a second crack back at Old Trafford after excelling on loan with West Ham at the end of last season.
In 16 matches for the Hammers, a revitalised Lingard scored nine times and registered five assists as David Moyes’ side sealed a spot in the Europa League. There was speculation that he would make that move permanent, but returned to his boyhood club with the promise of more regular football under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
However, both Solskjaer and interim boss Ralf Rangnick have failed to deliver on that promise and he has remained a man on the periphery. In January, he looked set to return to East London, or join Newcastle, but saw a move blocked at the 11th hour.
Despite that intervention, his fortunes haven’t really changed and he has started just three Premier League matches all season. That looked to have spelled the end of his United career, but reports had claimed Ten Hag was ready to give him a lifeline.
The Ajax boss is set to carry out a radical overhaul of the playing squad and will look to shape the team in his own image. Mirror Football exclusively reported last month that the Dutch tactician has scheduled one-to-one meetings over Zoom with every member of the squad ahead of his hotly-anticipated arrival.
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And the Sun subsequently claimed that Lingard could stay into next season, if he can be convinced he will be involved in the new manager’s regime. But it now appears he is unwilling to wait for that discussion after his brother blasted the club for failing to give him an appropriate goodbye.
Lingard was an unused substitute for Monday night’s 3-0 win over Brentford and Louie Scott claimed that United had missed the chance to award him the kind of farewell he deserved after two decades of service.
"20 years of blood sweat and tears, four domestic trophies, three cup final goals, not even a farewell. No wonder it's Conference League next year," Louie Scott wrote on his private Instagram story. "Class of '92, Busby Babes, you're ran by people who don't even know the offside trap. Classless and the fans need to realise. Goodnight, godbless! Been there since nine years of age and didn't even get a send-off!!! Well done bro your family are proud."
The rant appears to confirm that Lingard will definitely not be returning as a United player next term and will instead go in search of more regular football when his contract expires. Along with Lingard; Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and Juan Mata are all out of contract and look set to move on as the first part of Ten Hag’s transformation.
