For all of Manchester United's mistakes this season, the decision to not let go of Jesse Lingard is certainly amongst the most baffling.
After finding opportunities non-existent in the first-half of the 2020/21 season, the attacking-midfielder joined West Ham United on loan for the remainder of the season in January 2021. It was an opportunity for him to get his career back on track after it had been forced to ground to a halt at Old Trafford.
Although everyone was optimistic that a temporary stint at the London Stadium would serve Lingard well, nobody was prepared for what followed. After scoring twice on his debut in a 3-1 win over Aston Villa at Villa Park, the England international ended his temporary stint as a West Ham player with nine goals and five assists to his name.
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A tally of 14 direct goal contributions in 16 Premier League appearances was not bad going, was it? It put him firmly in the shop window ahead of the 2021 summer transfer window opening and it was only going to be a matter of time before United were falling over themselves with offers.
Considering Lingard was about to enter the final year of his contract, it seemed like the appropriate time for United to cash-in and secure the best possible price for one of their own. He had lit up the Premier League during his time at West Ham and his stock had never been greater.
But instead of making the decision to offload Lingard and earn a respectable transfer fee, United, who are set to lose the former Derby County loanee for free at the end of this season, decided to retain his services, even when they knew Bruno Fernandes was ahead of him in the pecking order and they had just added Jadon Sancho to their attacking ranks. It was hard to see where he would fit in, certainly for the volume of games that a player of his talents would expect.
However, former Reds boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer soon made it crystal clear that he wanted to keep hold of the academy graduate. Lingard was promised that he would be given opportunities to make his mark and they never arrived.
Back in August, ahead of the transfer window closing, Solskjaer, addressing his attacking options, said: "Don't forget Jesse Lingard. He has reinvented himself and he has come back the man that we know.
"With the quality he has, he is going to play a big part. I forgot him when I spoke about goalscorers."
A month later, Solskjaer reiterated his desire to make Lingard a key part of his plans, adding: "He's got one year left on his contract and the club is talking to him and his dad. We see him as a Man United player in the future.
"Jesse has come back into us after a great spell at West Ham were he showed his qualities and got back into the England squad, scoring goals We really want to see the best of him this season – we support him and we hope to keep him here with us, he's a Red through and through."
Whatever Solskjaer meant by 'big part,' it is probably not what Lingard interpreted it as. He has started just three times in the Premier League this season and none of those came prior to Solskjaer's sacking in November, meaning it makes the Norwegian's desire to keep hold of him all the more questionable.
Even after stepping off the bench and scoring in the back-to-back wins over Newcastle United and West Ham back in September it wasn't enough for Lingard to earn a start. What more could he have done to earn a chance to prove his worth?
It is why Solskjaer's decision, as well as United's refusal to grant him an exit on loan in January, will rank as two of their worst decisions in recent years. They could have cashed-in last summer to earn the best possible, but instead he was sold a false promise.
You can argue that it is important to have strength in depth and good options in the reserve trench, but even when the going has got tough for United this season Lingard has continued, by and large, to be ignored. He is almost certain to depart in the summer and it impossible to not wish him well, as he looks to make up for a year wasted.
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