Jesse Lingard has been trying to secure a move away from Manchester United throughout the January window, with little success as it is deadline day. He is now facing the possibility of being stuck at Old Trafford until the summer when his contract expires.
West Ham United are interested in bringing Lingard back to the London Stadium. Still, United are hesitant to potentially strengthen a top-four rival with the race being so close going into the second half of the season between several clubs.
This leaves only Newcastle, who were open to loaning until Lingard but were dissuaded in their initial approach by United's desire for a £12 million survival clause in any potential deal, with the deal being dead as of a few days before the deadline day.
However, on the last day of the window, the MEN Sport understands that both West Ham and Newcastle are set to make a last-ditch effort to try and secure Lingard's signature until the end of the season at the very least.
But there could yet be another twist in the tale. The MEN understands that Newcastle are also interested in a loan move for wantaway keeper Dean Henderson, who has become unsettled with his lack of playing time due to David de Gea's good form throughout the season.
However, Premier League rules dictate that clubs can only have one player on loan from a club at one time, meaning that they would be unable to have both Henderson and Lingard on loan.
This means Newcastle would have to choose which they value more, a new goalkeeper to help a flailing defence keep clean sheets or Lingard's ability to change games by himself. Both are invaluable to Newcastle, who currently sit in a relegation battle.
From a United perspective, it is unclear who the club would prefer to loan. Henderson seems like the most viable candidate to stay, but his desire to play more games while still being a top-quality young keeper who is the future of United could mean the club look to appease him, at least for now, with a loan.
And with United's lack of depth on the wings, Lingard could be presented with more opportunities to play before his contract expires.
On the other hand, this is the last chance for United to secure a fee, so it might be more beneficial to ensure a loan fee for the English midfielder if possible. Given Newcastle's abundance of riches, the club could secure a meaningful payment even for a six-month loan.
However, any deal will likely cut it close to the wire with limited time left on the clock.
