Scholes: ‘Sensational’ Lingard will be desperate to play for Man United next season
BT Sport pundit Paul Scholes has claimed that West Ham attacker Jesse Lingard will be desperate to return to Manchester United next season.
The former Man United midfielder believes that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should welcome the 28-year-old back to Old Trafford next season.
After loaning Lingard to West Ham, the England international has played with a newfound belief in his abilities, which has resulted in him in scoring eight goals and assisting another three in nine Premier League appearances.
Despite struggling to nail down a regular place in Solskjaer’s playing eleven, Scholes believes the play will be inching to return to Manchester.
As quoted by the Metro, he said, “He’s [Lingard] been sensational. For Ole, I think it would be great to have him back to give some competition to Bruno Fernandes.
“I know the quality Jesse has. I worked with Jesse as an 18/19-year-old as a coach so I know the quality he possesses.
“He’ll be desperate to play for Manchester United. Whether he’ll give it a bit more time to see after this form he’s been in if he can get back in the squad, I don’t know.”
Looks very unlikely
While Scholes’ affinity for Manchester United is understandable, we don’t think Lingard would want to go back to Old Trafford, while Ole’s the manager, at least.
The 28-year-old enjoyed few good months at the Manchester outfit, but they came under Jose Mourinho, and since Bruno’s arrival at the club, Lingard’s found it hard to even make the matchday squad.
Let’s assume that he would want to go back to his boyhood club, he’s unlikely to start ahead of Bruno, so there’s no rationale behind why he would want to reduce his playing minutes.
At West Ham or any club that he joins in the summer, he’ll want to play as he would be looking to make the 2022 FIFA World Cup squad for England.
That cannot be achieved if you’re warming the bench at a club.
Gareth Southgate may have his favourites, but he also wants them featured regularly. Lingard was only picked in the England squad after he was a mainstay in the playing eleven and scored goals after moving to West Ham.
One thing is for certain, Lingard’s stint at West Ham has driven his valuation through the roof, and for a player that looked to have his best days behind him, Lingard’s done a phenomenal job to turn it around.
In other West Ham news, Report: Tottenham join Hammers in race to sign towering £15m-rated goal machine, on-fire for club