Jesse Lingard is set to be handed a transfer lifeline by a Manchester United legend after his contract with FC Seoul was terminated.
While success on the pitch has not always been there since Sir Alex Ferguson, one constant has been the academy’s ability to produce first-team regulars.
Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Scott McTominay, with them all representing Manchester United a combined 913 times, with all three playing over 200 times at least for the club.
In that same era, there was also Paul Pogba, who rejoined the club from Juventus, meaning at times there were four academy stars in the same XI.
However, despite the successes of Rashford and McTominay for Barcelona and Napoli since leaving United, Lingard took the brave decision to head to South Korea. Despite two solid seasons, he now finds himself without a club.
Van Persie eyes up a reunion with Lingard
With Jesse Lingard now being a free agent, many clubs around Europe have registered their interest in acquiring his services, with reports highlighting Italy as an option.
However, Lingard’s former teammate and Manchester United legend, Robin Van Persie, could be set to hand the out-of-contract Englishman a transfer lifeline, according to FootballInsider.
The Dutchman has been in charge of Feyenoord since 2025, and his club remain in a tough battle for Champions League football next season.
In the Eredivisie, only the top two get places for Europe’s Premier competition, and despite Feyenoord sitting in second, only one point separates them from fourth-place Ajax.
A move for Lingard would certainly bolster their attack, which has been dealt a huge blow with the injury to Shaqueel Van Persie. A sticking point for the move, according to the report, could be his wage demands.
Shaw the last standing player
With Rashford out on loan, Luke Shaw is the only player to have played under every manager since Louis Van Gaal.
The full-back, who is the longest-serving player in the current squad, was also teammates with current manager Michael Carrick for four years until Carrick’s retirement.
Read more: Man Utd Academy star stuns on loan debut with ‘absolutely superb’ display in heroic win
The two-time Manchester United player of the year has returned to his best, both performance-wise and physically, as Shaw has started every game in the league so far.
However, with only Shaw remaining, this ultimately signals the start of a new era, with much of the current squad being players signed under the INEOS regime, with very few players still here from the Woodward and Richard Arnold era of signings.
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