“I’m going to consider” — Long-serving former Man Utd star is not ruling out a Saudi Arabia transfer

In what is shaping up to be one of the most interesting transfer windows in recent years, more players are finding themselves drawn to Saudi Arabia. It started with Cristiano Ronaldo’s blockbuster move to Al-Nassr last December and now another former Manchester United man in pondering a move to the Gulf.

Jesse Lingard signed for Nottingham Forest last summer following the end of his contract at Old Trafford and he’s once again looking for his next career move. Lingard spent almost all of his career at Man United but was loaned out on five occasions, with the most recent being a successful stint with West Ham. The 30-year-old contributed nine goals and five assists in 16 Premier League appearances during the end of the 2020/21 season with the Irons.

Now, with a big decision on the horizon, Lingard has admitted that a move to the Saudi Pro League could potentially be an option for him. Speaking to Sky Sports, the midfielder said he is “considering all options” and has “never ruled any team out” when it’s come down to considering his future.

“For me it’s just about picking the right team — it’s got to be right for me but I just want to play football. The project has got to be well-suited for me, the team’s got to be going in the right direction. But it’s just about regular game time, I’m still hungry, I’m working hard and I’m going to ready when called upon.”

“Saudi Arabia are doing big things, I think in the next couple of years it’ll be one of the hot spots to go to. I’m not really surprised there are a lot of good names going out there. It’s something that I’m going to consider as well.”

Should a move materialise for Lingard, he will join the ever-growing list of high profile names making the move over to Saudi Arabia. Hakim Ziyech is set to join Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, while his former Chelsea teammate N’Golo Kanté follows Karim Benzema to Al-Ittihad.

Another Blues man jumping ship is Kalidou Koulibaly, who has signed for Al-Hilal alongside former Wolves star Rúben Neves. There are plenty of other rumours linking top players to the Pro League — will Lingard be among them?