Former Man Utd attacker Jesse Lingard set for shock move to Asia

Jacque Talbot

• 1 Feb 2024 21:30 GMT
• 4 min read

Former Manchester United and Nottingham Forest attacker Jesse Lingard is set for a move to Korea, according to reports.

Pete O'Rourke of FootballInsider has claimed that the free agent is set for a move to Asia after trying to secure a side in the Saudi Pro League.

is still a free agent after he missed out on a last-minute move on deadline day, according to reports.

The 31-year-old, who has been without a club since his release from Forest in June, recently severed all connections with his former agent in a bid to secure a new club.

Over the past few months, he has been linked to various clubs, including Saudi Pro League side Al Etiffaq, where he underwent training for several weeks in October. However, a potential transfer did not materialise, meaning that he has remained a free agent.

In January, Lingard expressed interest in joining Barcelona, offering himself to the La Liga giants, but the club was not keen.

There were reports of a potential move involving Saudi Pro League side Al Shabab, who attempted to finalise a deal for the player before their transfer window deadline.

However, Al Shabab's last-minute endeavor to bring the midfielder to Riyadh before the Saudi Arabian window shut on January 31 was unsuccessful.

The report also claims Lingard has been approached by 'a couple' of Turkish Super Lig teams as he continues to weigh up his options.

Despite a lack of movement, Lingard is said to be doing 'his utmost' to find a new club as soon as possible and is open to any possibilities.

Understand former Manchester United and Nottingham Forest midfielder Jesse Lingard is set to make a shock move to South Korea! #MUFC #NFFC #DeadlineDay pic.twitter.com/HwHcEBCvnV

— Pete O'Rourke (@SportsPeteO) February 1, 2024

What did Jess Lingard say about his future?

Back in June, Lingard said of his future: "I'm considering all options," he said. "I've never ruled any club out. For me, it's just about picking the team that's right for me. I just want to play football at the end of the day."

"I want regular game time. I'm still hungry. I'm working hard out here," Lingard added. "Saudi Arabia... they are doing big things. It's one of the hotspots to go to.

"I'm not really surprised that a lot of big names are moving out there. They've been doing really big things in the last couple years. It's something that I'm going to consider as well. It's just got to be right for me at the end of the day.

"I'll go with my gut feeling. I just want to get on the pitch. I'm still hungry for success."