Jesse Lingard tells Ole Gunnar Solskjaer he 'wants to stay' at Man Utd
By Tom Gott
Jesse Lingard is understood to have told manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that he wants to stay at Manchester United and fight for his place.
The 28-year-old has just one year remaining on his contract and was seen as an expendable part of the squad just six months ago, before he stunned the world with an outstanding loan spell with West Ham that nearly saw him included in England's squad for the European Championships.
That loan deal has now expired and although West Ham do not have the option to make it permanent, they are expected to try and negotiate a deal to keep Lingard at the club next season - with United rumoured to be ready to demand up to £30m.
However, West Ham's chances of landing Lingard have been handed a blow by The Sun, who claim that the attacking midfielder has spoken with Solskjaer about his future and has stressed his desire to stay at the club and prove himself next season.
Lingard has also told those close to him that he dreams of rebuilding his career at Old Trafford and believes he has done enough to get the chance to do that, having notched nine goals and five assists for a West Ham side who only narrowly missed out on a spot in the Champions League.
Solskjaer has never closed the door to Lingard, regularly insisting he will have the chance to prove himself next year, although minutes could be limited in a United side who are keen to bolster in midfield regardless of Lingard's future.
United, who are looking to tie Juan Mata down to a new contract before his current deal expires next month, are working tirelessly to land Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho, whose arrival would further limit any minutes for Lingard.
Alongside Mata, Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek are competing for minutes in the 10 role, Marcus Rashford and Daniel James are options on the left and Solskjaer must also find minutes for youngsters Mason Greenwood and Amad Diallo.
It's for that reason that Lingard has been so heavily linked with an exit. He could raise a not-insignificant amount of money which could be re-invested in Sancho and a hypothetical move for Tottenham's Harry Kane, who remains on the radar despite his £150m price tag.
It is not yet clear whether Solskjaer sees Lingard as a core part of his squad going forward, and the player's future could well hinge on that. If regular minutes are not forthcoming at Old Trafford, a move away might be Lingard's only option.