Revealed: Man Utd’s massive demand that blocked Lingard’s Newcastle loan
Robin Bairner
- 26 Jan 2022 14:53 GMT
- 3 min read
Manchester United winger Jesse Lingard seemed set to move to Newcastle during the January transfer window on loan, though the deal is by all accounts off.
Sky Sports reported on Wednesday that Newcastle’s hopes of signing the England man were “dead” due to the terms being requested by Man Utd for a player who finds himself out of contract at the end of June.
For Newcastle, Lingard seemed an important piece of their survival puzzle. Not only had he exceled during a previous stint at West Ham last season, he would have arrived with the bonus of being able to hit the ground running perhaps a little more rapidly than a player from abroad.
So just what was it that put Newcastle off?
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According to the Telegraph, it was simply the amount of money that Manchester United were after.
It is reported that they wanted an enormous £12 million bonus payment if Newcastle achieved Premier League survival with Lingard in their ranks – something they would surely be considered favourites to do given the investment that is set to be made in their team in the days ahead.
Equally, though, Man Utd wanted a further £4.5m in wages and other payments, taking the total cost of the deal for Newcastle to £16.5m.
Why are Man Utd’s Lingard demands so high?
Why might Man Utd make such relatively lavish demands for a player it appears they will lose for nothing at the end of June?
Quite simply, this is a powerplay from the Old Trafford club to let Newcastle know where they are in the Premier League pecking order. It sends out a message that they will not be allowed to muscle their way to the top without spending huge amounts of money on players that everyone is aware are simply not worth that much.
Man Utd are already one of the most powerful clubs in the game and at this point will not be held hostage over a few million pounds.
Newcastle, on the other hand, are desperate to stay in the Premier League, and it is widely acknowledged that they will have to spend big in order to do so.
Additionally, while Lingard has been on the fringes of things at Man Utd, he is not exactly a forgotten figure, with 14 appearances across all competitions this season.
