Manchester United Ready To Retain Services Of In-form Attacker: Makes Sense?

Manchester United are looking to hand Jesse Lingard a bumper new deal, amid interest from West Ham United to sign him this summer.

After failing to break into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s starting lineup, Jesse Lingard was allowed to move to West Ham on a six-month loan period this January. His time with the Hammers was nothing less than spectacular with the 28-year-old touted to ensure a permanent move away to continue his new found form and consistency. But a report from Daily Star claims that Manchester United are not ready to sell him, instead, they are preparing a new three-year deal with an increase in wages.

His current contract with the club is set to expire at the end of the next summer, allowing him to move to a different club on a free transfer. He currently earns £110,000 per week but will get a weekly salary of £130,000 if he pens down the new deal. 

Should Manchester United award a new contract to Jesse Lingard?

Jesse Lingard burst to life in his loan spell at the London Stadium, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in 16 Premier League games. He proved to be the catalyst behind West Ham’s charge towards European football. Eventually, he helped David Moyes’ side to finish at the 6th spot in the league table and seal Europa League football for the upcoming season.

The England international was able to shine because he was given regular minutes on the pitch without much pressure put on him to deliver in every game. The harrowing media scrutiny that comes with playing for Manchester United was missing and Lingard was able to deliver belatedly on the promise he had shown when he first emerged for the Red Devils.

Jesse Lingard prominently featured in the number 10 spot for the London club. However, Bruno Fernandes occupies a similar area on the pitch and is undroppable. Even after a horrendous Euro 2020, one will back the Portuguese international to remain an automatic starter for his club team.

The duty on the left-flank will be shared by Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. The Red Devils are also in the final stages of completing a move for Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho. The starlet can play in multiple attacking positions but Solskjaer is likely to utilize his services on the right flank.

Thus, his arrival will prove to be another stumbling block for Lingard in his quest for regular minutes. Solskjaer can only offer a rotational squad role to the 28-year old which might not suffice the midfielder’s ambitions. Due to the exceptional loan spell, Lingard’s stocks are high and this is the perfect time for United to cash in on him and a contract extension at this stage does not make much sense.