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He’s the call on Celtic fans’ minds as we manage to get to the halfway point of the January window, but could a resolution REALLY happen for Jesse Lingard?
Brendan Rodgers has stated his desire to bring quality to the Parkhead team this month as they look to win the Scottish Premiership crown this season, and with Nicolas Kuhn finishing his debut at Celtic Park, attention has temporarily turned to who might arrive next via Lingard’s call was the subject of rumors about a spell with Rodgers, with the England foreigner failing to find a new club after leaving Nottingham Forest last summer.
The 30-year-old has not played a single game since scoring two minutes for Forest against his former club Manchester United in April and has not played football week in and week out since December 2022. He has had trial spells with West Ham and Steven Gerrard. Al-Ettifaq since leaving the City Ground, has yet to find a new club.
Last season, Lingard insisted he was looking for more playing time when he left Old Trafford to sign for Nottingham for the first time in his career – anything Rodgers could offer the flexible striker for the rest of the campaign. He told The Athletic: “I wanted to play football regularly. It’s hard to sit on the bench. It’s time to move on. I knew it would benefit me if I moved to Nottingham. “
That wouldn’t be the case, however, as he temporarily fell down the pecking order under then-boss Steve Cooper. Speaking about his long run in his final term, with his one-year contract fast approaching, he said “happiness” would make his next decision a decision. He added: “I don’t know what the future holds. I have a smile on my face in education and before games. Happiness is the key for me. That’s the most important thing. “
However, to secure game time and happiness, it appears that a mega-money deal would have to be agreed with a move to the Saudi Pro League reportedly collapsing due to the wage demands of the 32-time England cap. Mega-rich Ettifaq are said to have walked away from negotiations due to Lingard’s insistence on a lucrative contract.
Reports from August claimed that the 30-year-old was seeking £7 million per year, which equates to around £130,000 per week. Celtic are unlikely to be tempted to spend that much money on the free agent in the middle of the campaign.
It would take a major rethink in the Lingard camp to see him back playing football in the green and white hoops, but that door may have been opened slightly after he sacked his agents as he looks for a route back into the game. Posting to his social media on the bold call, he said: ‘My focus is different. My time is being invested in growth. I don’t expect people to understand what I’m up to. Eventually, they will understand.”