Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard has commented on whether or not he will sign a new deal at the club.
The England attacking midfielder is contracted until the end of next season with the option to extend for the 2021-22 campaign.
The 26-year-old experienced a tough spell at the start of the new season but has since returned to form a potent front four, along with Dan James, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, which tore Manchester City to pieces at times over the weekend.
It was thought that Lingard could follow Red Devils team-mate Rashford in committing his future to the club in the summer, but Lingard is yet to sign a new deal.
Speaking to The Independent ahead of United’s Europa Leauge tie with AZ Alkmaar on Thursday evening, Lingard said: “Who knows what will happen in the future but at the moment I’m enjoying my football.
“I’ve been at United so long, it’s like a family. It’s such a tight-knit group, from the fans to the staff, everyone’s so close and together.
Lingard has made more substitute appearances than starts in the league this season, but is hoping to build on his recent displays and cement a place in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first team.
Solskjaer views Lingard as a senior player in his youthful squad and named him skipper for the 2-1 defeat against Astana at the end of November, a game in which he scored.
And Lingard added: “I said at the start of the season I’d like to become more vocal on and off the pitch, more of a leader on and off the pitch. The Astana game was perfect for that.
“From being at the club since I was seven, it’s a huge honour and me and my family are so proud.
“Everyone back home was watching and were so happy. For me, that was the fist step. It’s about carrying it on now.”
Meanwhile, United will have to stump up a club-record £128million fee to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez, according to a report.
The reported fee for the Atletico Madrid man would smash the £89.3million they paid for Paul Pogba in August 2016, who incidentally could be the man Niguez may replace.
Pogba’s future at United has been under the spotlight in recent months, with the player strongly linked with moves to both Real Madrid and his former club Juventus. The Spanish champions are reportedly ready to launch a fresh approach for the Frenchman’s services with January looming, amid claims they will have offer United two players in exchange and as a sweetener.
However, it seems United have ideas of their own and are said to seeking as much as £180m for a player, who is contracted to the club until 2021 but has shown precious few signs of wanting to sign an extension. Read more…
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