Manchester United are reportedly willing to sanction a cut-price departure for Jesse Lingard in January with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.
Despite a handful of impressive cameos, the Englishman has failed to earn regular game time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer so far this term, having returned to the club following a hugely impressive six-month loan stint at West Ham United last season.
That spell at the London Stadium saw the versatile midfielder net nine times in just 16 Premier League appearances to revive his previously stalled career, as he helped David Moyes’ side secure a remarkable sixth-place finish.
Speculation over the summer had suggested a return to the Hammers could be on the cards, yet the 28-year-old returned to Old Trafford to link up with United once again, starting the season brightly with goals against Newcastle United and former club West Ham.
While those moments have shown his undoubted quality, the Red Devils youth product has still made just a solitary start in the Carabao Cup, even amid the club’s current miserable slump that has seemingly ended any title hopes.
As per the Sun, United are now willing to cash-in on the England international in January in a cut-price deal, with a return to east London seemingly on the cards.
The report suggests that Solskjaer and co will accept as little as £10m for Lingard in the winter window, having demanded as much as £25m for the player over the summer – a figure that West Ham were ultimately unwilling to pay.
Both the club and the player himself had hoped he could play a key role for United this season, yet an exit now appears almost inevitable with his current contract nearing its end.
United would be willing to see Lingard return to Moyes’ side in January, despite the Hammers having emerged as a genuine top-four contender, the Old Trafford outfit currently six points behind in the Premier League table.
The player was also recently left out of Gareth Southgate’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and San Marino, with a move likely to be in his thinking to secure consistent game time ahead of the tournament in Qatar next year.
The likes of Newcastle, Everton and Leicester have also been linked in recent months.
