Jesse Lingard has been left fuming by Manchester United’s continued refusal to sanction his departure this month.
Newcastle United have been pursuing Lingard for some time and recently lodged a mammoth loan offer to try and convince the Red Devils to part ways with the midfielder, whose contract is set to expire in the summer.
United are yet to respond to that bid and The Telegraph claim that this stalling has left Lingard feeling disrespected by those in charge at Old Trafford.
Lingard believes he deserves more after spending 20 years at his boyhood club and some around him feel as though United are trying to punish him for refusing to extend his contract last summer. As it stands, he is set to spend the next six months on the fringes of Ralf Rangnick’s squad before leaving for free anyway.
For comparison, United have just agreed to waive a loan fee to allow Anthony Martial to head out on loan to Sevilla, but their reluctance to do the same for Lingard has been met with real disappointment from the England international.
United have always argued that in such uncertain times, with squads regularly decimated by Covid-19 and other injuries, keeping as many options as possible around the first team is the smartest solution.
They remain reluctant to lose Lingard, particularly given Martial’s imminent departure, but Newcastle are determined to bring him in before the closure of the transfer window.
Lingard is desperate to join the Magpies, not least because they will give him the platform he wants to try and earn himself a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad once again.
He was close to making the squad for Euro 2020 after excelling on loan at West Ham United but returned to Southgate’s setup after the tournament, although his lack of minutes at Old Trafford has cost him that place once again.