Ed Woodward boldly boasted to club investors when Manchester United sold Daniel James to Leeds United in the summer transfer window for £25million, after all it was the fourth-record sale in club history.
His replacement Richard Arnold is unlikely to do similar even if United manage to sell Jesse Lingard for a sizeable fee before the end of the January transfer window.
Newcastle are stepping up their pursuit of the United playmaker this month with a permanent bid on the table. It seems like the best outcome for all parties, given Lingard could have signed a pre-contract with an overseas club this month, or even leave for free at the end of the season.
