Former Newcastle United transfer target Jesse Lingard has been released by Nottingham Forest. The ex-Manchester United star signed a one-year deal at the City Ground last summer, but struggled to make an impact for Steve Cooper's side.
Lingard scored twice in the Carabao Cup for the newly-promoted outfit, but failed to register a goal or an assist in the Premier League. The 30-year-old made just a solitary substitute appearance in Forest's final 12 fixtures, with the club securing survival in their penultimate fixture with a home victory over Arsenal.
Forest released their retained list on Friday, with Lingard one of six players to leave at the end of their contracts. Former Newcastle midfielder Jack Colback will also depart following five seasons with the club.
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Eddie Howe twice tried to lure Lingard to St James' Park, with an initial loan agreement blocked on deadline day in January last year. The England international was out of favour at Old Trafford and set to leave on a free transfer, but recently opened up on his frustration at seeing a temporary switch to Tyneside fall through.
Lingard told the Diary of a CEO in January: ""I wanted to go on loan again in January because I wasn't playing again. Newcastle was on the cards in January. The deal was done - everything - but the United squad was not big enough.
"A couple of players went out on loan and when it came to me, [football director] John Murtough rang me and was like, 'No, you're not going on loan.' I was like, 'He's on loan. Let me go and enjoy my football. I'm not playing here so let me go on loan. I want to play football.' He was like, 'What do you want? Days off?' I said, 'No. I want to go play football.' They stopped the loan so I was p-----."
Newcastle were again linked with Lingard following his release along with West Ham. However, Lingard opted to sign for Forest but is now on the lookout for a new club for the second successive summer.
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