KEY POINTS

  • Jesse Lingard plans on giving it one more go with Manchester United before deciding on his future
  • Ralf Rangnick's arrival is seen as the reason for Lingard's sudden u-turn on his transfer plans
  • Lingard is yet to sign an extension with the club despite months of discussion

Manchester United fans can breathe a little bit easier after a new report revealed that Jesse Lingard plans to fight for his place at the club instead of leaving outright.

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, the 29-year-old winger is inspired by the fact that Ralf Rangnick has taken over the club and that the German tactician’s playing style perfectly suits him.

It was long rumored that Lingard would be angling for his exit from the club due to his frustrations with not having enough playing time during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign over the club.

Lingard found himself on loan at the tail end of last season with West Ham United as he fell out of favor with Solskjaer but proved he was more than a valuable piece, scoring nine goals in 16 appearances for the Hammers.

So bad was his experience of playing under Solskjaer that it was rumored in mid-November that the Warrington-born winger had his representatives in Spain to talk transfer terms with clubs who were interested to have him.

Like any player at the top of their game, Lingard was hoping that he gets enough playing time to convince the upper management of the England international team to select him for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

Lingard has been a staple of the international squad since 2016 and he has no intentions of letting his spot fall to anyone else.

Rangnick’s recently revealed transfer policy may throw a wrench in Lingard’s plans of competing for a spot at the club, but the 10-year veteran of Old Trafford is adamant to show his value to Rangnick and convince him otherwise.

Manchester United management had been trying to convince Lingard to stay by signing an extension, but his frustrations with the club had overtaken his desires to stay.

With Rangnick on the sidelines, Lingard sees an opportunity that was not present while Solskjaer was the manager.

It remains to be seen whether Lingard will be able to convince Rangnick to play him more alongside the likes of Jadon Sancho due to their similarity in playing style.

The 62-year-old manager did give Lingard some time to strut his stuff when he subbed him in at the 79th-minute mark of their 3-2 victory over Arsenal on December 2 but was left on the bench for their most recent match against Norwich City.

Lingard's contract is set to expire in the summer of 2022, but should he be given enough time to play, it may appease him enough to sign an extension with the only permanent club he has been with.