Former Manchester United playmaker Jesse Lingard is now being offered to Barcelona as he looks to get his career back on track.
The last few years have been a little bizarre for Jesse Lingard.
A product of the United academy, Lingard showed his quality in fits and starts under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before heading on loan to West Ham United in 2021.
Lingard exploded with nine goals and four assists in 16 games for the Hammers, tempting United into keeping hold of the attacking midfielder.
That didn’t really work for anybody as Lingard started just two Premier League games in the 2021-22 season and ended up leaving for absolutely nothing.
A one-year deal with Nottingham Forest was a disaster for Lingard and he has now been without a club for six months having left the City Ground.
Jesse Lingard eyeing Barcelona move
Lingard had been training with Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq earlier this season but no permanent move to Saudi Arabia materialised.
A bizarre report has now emerged in Spain as Catalan newspaper SPORT report that Lingard has been offered to Barcelona.
It’s indicated that Lingard thinks Barcelona would be an ‘excellent springboard’ to get his career back on track.
A deal would be an enormous surprise but you just never know, and this seems like trying to seize an opportunity from the Lingard camp, if true.
Barcelona are looking for a new midfielder this month and don’t exactly have a big budget due to Financial Fair Play restrictions.
A free agent like Lingard may subsequently become appealing to Barcelona and his representatives have seemingly put his name forward.
Lingard situation a shame after reaching real heights
United fans will almost certainly cheer on any player who has come up through the ranks and given positive service to the first team.
Lingard fits that bill and racked up nearly 150 appearances for United after first joining the club’s ranks at the age of just seven.
The playmaker couldn’t become a superstar at United, but we saw him hit top form with West Ham and it looked like he would go on to shine elsewhere.
That just hasn’t happened and the last 18 months have been difficult for Lingard, whose career is in danger of slipping away at just 31.
Whether it’s Barcelona or a Premier League team, let’s hope that Lingard finds himself a new club soon and gets back on track, showing us all what he can do on the pitch.
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