Why Jesse Lingard’s clothing brand has sparked rumours of a transfer to Newcastle Utd

Jesse Lingard’s representatives attended Newcastle United’s match with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, amid rumours of a move to St James Park.

JLingz, Lingard’s clothing brand, posted a photo of the two teams lining up ahead of Sunday’s encounter.

Their presence at the match has sparked speculation that the England international could be on the move when the January transfer window opens.

Newcastle have recently been taken over by new owners and plans are reportedly afoot for a big spending spree which could include a move for the current Manchester United player.

Newcastle are currently involved in a relegation battle and are winless after their opening eight matches.

Are Newcastle an option for Lingard?

For Lingard to consider a move, he would be going from a team challenging at the top-end of the table, to a club that will first need to stave off the threat of a demotion to the Championship.

The 28-year-old has made four appearances in the Premier League for United this season, but all have come from the bench, meaning he has played just 55 minutes in the league so far.

Newcastle seem to be the front runners if Lingard is to depart Old Trafford, although West Ham United have also been linked with a move.

Lingard enjoyed a six-month loan at the London Stadium, getting 14 goal contributions in 16 games for the Irons, but a return failed to materialise last summer, despite David Moyes’s clear admiration for the player.

To rub salt into the wounds, Lingard scored an 89th-minute winner in September against his former side.

The arrival of Jadon Sancho and the return of Cristiano Ronaldo have made it hard for Lingard to earn a first-team spot, given the individual strength of the squad right now.

What has Solskjaer said?

Despite his lack of action at United this season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen to extend the Englishman’s contract, which expires at the end of this season.

During his post-match press conference following the 4-2 defeat to Leicester, the Norwegian said: “We want to prolong Lingard’s contract because we see him as an important player for us.

“It’s up to him - and maybe up to me - to give him more playing time because he deserves to. Hopefully we can get a deal sorted because we really rate him.”