Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard's future has been a hot topic of conversation since emphasising his wish to remain at the club last summer.
Lingard enjoyed a stellar loan spell away from his boyhood club at West Ham last season and was keen to return under former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, bidding to fight for a first team place.
However things haven't gone all to plan for the 29-year-old, with limited game time and the arrival of interim boss Ralf Rangnick throwing a proverbial 'spanner in the works' it seems, the midfielder's future with the club is again proving a bit of mystery.
Now, with his decision seemingly to 'run down' his current Reds contract until its expiry in June of next year, one former player has shed further light on the player's choice in doing so.
“The loan move to West Ham got him back out there on the pitch, and back in that England squad,” former Tottenham defender Alan Hutton told Football Insider.
“Now that he’s 29, he’ll be looking for that last big contract. It doesn’t really surprise me that he’s wanting to run that contract down at Man United. There will be teams desperate to get him in the summer.
“With no fee involved in the summer, he and his agent can maximise that signing-on fee or his wages, or whatever. I get why he’s doing it, but the Man United fans and board won’t be happy.
“They’re losing a valuable player for free, so that won’t go down too well. But as an ex-footballer, I understand why he’s doing it.”
Featuring only 12 times so far this season for United, Lingard's frustrations are plainly clear to see and with Newcastle United, West Ham and AC Milan all rumoured to be bidding for his signature, his time at the Theatre of Dreams could perhaps be coming to an end.
