Jesse Lingard could be on the move in January as he struggles to make an impact at Nottingham Forest.
The 29-year-old signed for the Reds as a free agent in the summer after leaving Manchester United. He was the most high-profile of the club’s 22 additions as they prepared for life in the Premier League, but he is yet to find anything like the kind of form it was hoped he would.
As a result, according to TEAMtalk, Forest “are considering offloading” Lingard when the transfer window reopens. They are said to be ready to cut their losses as he “does not figure in their long-term plans”.
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The attacker penned a one-year deal when he linked up with Steve Cooper’s side. The Reds did not have to shell out a transfer fee and although Lingard is a high earner, it was still a relatively low-risk gamble on the club’s part.
It was hoped he could get back to the kind of influence he had on games during a loan spell at West Ham United. However, he has not been able to pin down a starting spot and has not netted a goal or registered an assist in his 11 appearances so far.
Cooper said of Lingard in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with Brentford: “I understand around Jesse, because of where he’s played his football before and having been on the international stage there will always be a bit of extra interest. But we don’t think like that; we treat him the same as everyone else.
“What I do know is Jesse is working really hard on the training ground. He is a very positive influence around the place in a professional way, and, like everyone else, we are all aiming to improve in order to improve our situation.
“I am not one for treating anyone any different. We want to treat everyone the same, because that’s what is needed if we’re going to be as together as we need to be.”
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