Everton must move now for Jesse Lingard amid Barcelona transfer rumours
Everton must move now for Jesse Lingard if they really do have any interest in signing the free agent attacker as Barcelona are also reportedly interested.
talkSPORT reported on 2 January that the Toffees are considering offering Lingard a Premier League lifeline with a short-term deal until the end of the campaign.
Lingard has been without a club since leaving Nottingham Forest at the end of last season, despite supposed interest from West Ham and Saudi club Al-Ettifaq.
While the speculation was initially laughed off by some, the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. Lingard just seems like a Sean Dyche player, after all.
With talk of Arnaut Danjuma possibly returning to Villarreal having struggled to make an impact at Goodison Park, Lingard – a multiple-cup winner with Manchester United – would not be a bad option from the bench, especially with no transfer fee involved.
However, Spanish outlet Sport reported on Sunday (07 January) that Barcelona may also now be in the running to sign the former England international.
The report adds that Lingard will set Barca back around £1.72million (€2m) in wages between now and the end of the season if he signs, which Everton would also have to factor in.
If this interest from Barcelona is legitimate, Everton quite simply need to make a decision on Lingard now. They either offer him a short-term deal, or they forget about it and look for other targets.
The January window is notoriously difficult to do business, and it may well be that there is nobody better out there than Lingard who is within Everton’s price range.
As underwhelming as the deal sounds, the Toffees must be onto something as Barcelona – one of the biggest clubs anywhere on the globe – are also now in the conversation.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are reportedly in a 50:50 battle with a LaLiga side over the signing of a young player.