Gabriel Agbonlahor believes Manchester United would be a "laughing stock" if they allowed Champions League rivals West Ham to swoop for Jesse Lingard.
The 29-year-old will be out of contract in the summer and has been subject to interest from the Hammers and Newcastle United this month.
Lingard enjoyed the second half of last season as he shone for David Moyes' side after departing United on loan, in search of first-team minutes.
He could have moved permanently to East London in the summer but former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opted to retain his services.
However, he has failed to become a regular starter and as interest in Lingard ramps up in the final week of the transfer window, former Aston Villa and England forward, Agbonlahor, insists United cannot sell Lingard to one of their top four rivals.
"I feel sorry for him because for me, Jesse Lingard will want to go to West Ham,” he told the talkSPORT.
"If you’re Manchester United there’s no way you let him go to your rivals.
"Champions League rivals, they are not going to let him go there.
"At the start of the season I think he fancied himself to get more game time but when you see the season go on now, Pogba’s been injured a lot and he’s still getting game time.
"Now he should be thinking; ‘This month I have to leave’.
"If they’re not going to let him go to West Ham, and Newcastle are willing to pay the £10million loan fee, he has to go there.
"What if he goes there, gets five, six or seven goals and West Ham get top 4? They’ll be a laughing stock, Manchester United."
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