Leicester City monitoring Manchester United man for summer bid

Leicester City are reportedly in pursuit of Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard, with a view to making a potential bid this summer.

That’s right, you read correctly: the Foxes are monitoring the much-maligned playmaker with the possibility of bringing him to the King Power this summer, according to reports from Eurosport. The former England star’s stock has dropped in recent years after managing to go an entire calendar year without a goal contribution, but a recent loan spell at West Ham has seen him return to his explosive best, with three goals already in just four games for the Hammers.

Although the cruel “young talent” meme is almost inseparable from Lingard’s name, at 28-years-old he is by no means over the hill; that is the same age Jamie Vardy starting playing his best football, in fact. While David Moyes has recently been able to prove that there is indeed a top player in there somewhere, as far as squad players go, Leicester City could do a lot worse than Jesse Lingard.

Lingard for Leicester City? – the Verdict

Given the recent injury to James Maddison and the lack of another out-and-out No. 10 in the senior team, bringing Lingard to the East Midlands could make sense. With Champions League football looking probable and Europa League more or less a guarantee, Leicester will be glad of quality depth when mid-season injuries start to encroach and starting XI fitness becomes a worry.

That said, I really don’t see this deal getting off the ground for a number of reasons. With Lingard playing some of the best football of his career in East London and the Hammers also in the Champions League spots, I can’t see why the Manchester United man would risk a move to Leicester City when he’s currently a starter for a side only one place behind them. Provided his scintillating form continues, West Ham will be snapping off the Red Devils’ hand to make this deal permanent.

What’s more, this really doesn’t feel like a “Leicester City” transfer at all. For a club that usually recruits relatively unknown young players and develops them into stars, signing the ageing surplus of other Premier League clubs is extremely out of character. If Lingard were to move to Leicester, he’d possibly have to take a pay cut on his £75,000-a-week wages, placing him ahead of starters like Çağlar Söyüncü, Wesley Fofana and Harvey Barnes.

I just can’t see Leicester shelling out that much for a squad player. Though I have no doubt Brendan Rodgers could get the best out of Lingard, I wouldn’t hold my breath for a transfer to the East Midlands.