Ex-Man Utd Star Lingard’s Next Step after Forest Departure

Ex-Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard is on the lookout for a new team after his departure from Nottingham Forest.

The England player, who started his career at United’s academy and played over 200 matches for his first club, joined Nottingham Forest when his contract ended last year. Forest, who had been on a well-known signing spree, saw Lingard play 17 league games under Steve Cooper’s guidance.

While Lingard played regularly for Forest in the early part of the season, injuries and competition led to him seeing just an hour of Premier League play after New Year. Forest confirmed that Lingard would leave once his one-year contract ended. Now, the 30-year-old is expected to join a club overseas.

Lingard, a versatile attacker, might be headed to the US, following the path of Lionel Messi. According to a bookmaker, an MLS club is Lingard’s most probable choice at odds of 5/2.

But Besiktas, a Turkish club which this season included English players Dele Alli and Nathan Redmond in their team, is another likely option at 4/1. Lingard, who netted the winning goal in the 2016 FA Cup final for United, is also being eyed by Besiktas’ rivals Fenerbache (also 4/1).

Sheffield United, recently promoted from the Championship, is the English team most expected to give Lingard another shot in the Premier League (10/1). However, they’re lower down the list of possible options, which includes a surprising move to Champions League finalists Inter Milan (10/1) or signing with a team in Saudi Arabia (7/1).