Manchester United have told Jesse Lingard he will not be allowed to leave in the January transfer window despite interest from West Ham and Newcastle.
It is a remarkable twist in the midfielder’s future after United interim boss Ralf Rangnick gave Lingard his blessing to leave the club ahead of the window closing.
West Ham – where Lingard netted nine goals in 16 appearances last season on a loan spell – joined Newcastle in the race to sign the 29-year-old, but neither will be successful in their pursuits.
Lingard, 29, is out of contract at the end of the campaign and is now expected to leave Old Trafford as a free agent this summer with the club unable to secure a transfer fee.
It follows a remarkable series of events in which interim boss Rangnick came to an amicable agreement with Lingard to grant his wishes for an exit this month to a Premier League club.
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United had previously rebuffed interest from Tottenham and West Ham in the player as they considered both clubs to be rivals in the race for a top four spot this campaign.
That stance allowed Newcastle to emerge for the England international on a loan deal but the Manchester club’s inclusion of a clause which would have seen the Magpies make a guaranteed payment should they avoid relegation saw the deal scuppered.
However, both Newcastle and West Ham made improved offers for Lingard late in the window which had appeared to rekindle the possibility of an agreement.
United have now blocked the possibility of an exit after sanctioning loan departures for Anthony Martial, Amad Diallo and Donny van de Beek, which has left Rangnick slightly short on attacking options.
Lingard has not started a Premier League match for United since New Year’s Day in 2020 and his cumulative minutes in the league this season add up to a meagre 88 minutes.
The out-of-favour player has started just twice – in an EFL Cup loss against West Ham and the heavily-changed side that drew at home to Young Boys in a Champions League dead rubber.
Lingard proved his worth with a remarkable loan spell at West Ham during the second half of last season, with nine goals and five assists in 16 Premier League games helping the East London side qualify for Europe.
Hammers boss David Moyes has also expressed his desire to bring Lingard back to the club this month but such a move is unlikely to now come to fruition.
West Ham had rivalled the Magpies for his signing and have today returned with an improved offer to bring him to the London Stadium on a permanent deal.
Yet Lingard now looks set to remain at United for the remainder of the season when he is then anticipated to depart as a free agent.
