What Manchester United said as Jesse Lingard departure is confirmed

Manchester United have announced that Jesse Lingard will leave the club following the expiry of his contract.

The midfielder has spent over 20 years at the Red Devils but with his current deal up, is seeking a new challenge elsewhere following two years of limited first-team opportunities.

The announcement came within a few hours of United confirming Paul Pogba will also leave the club, while Lee Grant left last week, and Juan Mata and Edinson Cavani are expected to follow suit.

In a statement on their website United said: “Manchester United can confirm that Jesse Lingard will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of June.

“An Academy graduate and dyed-in-the-wool Red, Jesse has been with United for over 20 years, having originally joined our Under-9s team in 2001.”

The statement went on to reflect on his Old Trafford successes, including the match-winning goal in the 2016 FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, while he also netted in the League Cup final triumph the following season and played a significant role in United’s 2017 Europa League success.

After successful spells under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Lingard lost his place in the side during the latter half of the 2019/20 campaign, a problem he failed to rectify.

The 29-year-old was sent on loan to West Ham United last term and started just two league matches for United in the season just finished.

The club added: “We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Jesse for all of the memories he’s helped create during his two decades here and wish him the best of luck in his future career.”

Lingard has been linked with a return to the Hammers, while Newcastle United, AC Milan, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain have also been suggested as new destinations for the academy graduate.