Al Etihad will release another foreign player to make way for Jesse Lingard.
“Al Etihad are ready to cut down on their foreign players to sign Jesse Lingard,” ESPN reported on April 19.
Lingard was once tipped to lead 스포츠토토 Manchester United and the England national team. After spending time on loan at Leicester City and Derby County, Lingard broke through in the 2015/16 season.
Lingard moved around the field with his trademark exuberance and aggressiveness. He dribbled and passed well. His performances at United earned him a spot on the England national team. However, he didn’t develop as much as expected. In particular, he was criticized for his rather flashy celebrations.
Lingard’s place in the team dwindled, and he eventually opted to go on loan to West Ham United for the 2020/21 season. The loan proved to be a huge success, as he scored nine goals and provided four assists in 19 games, leading the Hammers to the UEFA Europa League.
After a successful loan spell, he returned to United, but there was still no place for Lingard. During the 2021/22 season, Lingard made 22 appearances. That wasn’t a lot of games, but it was only four starts.
Wanting more playing time, Lingard declined to re-sign with United and headed to Nottingham Forest. Things didn’t turn around in Nottingham. Lingard was released by the club at the end of the season and became a free agent.
Lingard turned to the Saudi Professional League. Al Etihad, coached by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, was expected to be his next stop. In fact, Lingard trained with Al Etihad and played in a couple of friendlies and seemed to be on his way to joining the club.
However, he has yet to sign a formal contract. The reason: foreign player restrictions. The Saudi Pro League currently allows teams to have eight foreign players in their squads. Al Etihad currently has 10 foreign players.
In order to bring Lingard in, the team would need to clear out its roster. According to reports, Al Etihad are looking to offload two players to make room for Lingard. Sweden international Robin Quayson and Brazilian winger Vitinho are the two players who will be released.