Man Utd forward ranks set to swell after ‘candid’ Solskjaer meeting brings breakthrough
The attacking options Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can call upon at Man Utd next season are set to be bolstered after a candid meeting between manager and player brought a breakthrough, per a report.
Man Utd have been linked with several comings and goings in their attacking ranks this window. Their long-running pursuit of Jadon Sancho finally appears to be making progress. Nevertheless, club chief John Murtough has lined up a blockbuster replacement just in case.
On the exit front, today’s Paper Talk detailed Solskjaer’s apparent unhappiness with Anthony Martial on a number of counts. As such, a surprise exit to a European giant has been mooted.
Competition should be fierce for a club seeking to lift major honours, especially in the attacking department.
One player who now appears destined to bolster the ranks and push for a starting berth is Jesse Lingard.
The 28-year-old’s career at Old Trafford seemed like it was nearing it’s end last year. A loan move to West Ham materialised. But to many people’s surprise, Lingard produced a purple patch of form to rival any forward in the league.
The Hammers remain keen on bringing Lingard back who can count himself unlucky not to be included in England’s Euro 2020 squad.
However, the Sun now report a meeting between Lingard and Solskjaer has all but confirmed he will stay in Manchester.
They cite a ‘candid’ meeting between manager and player that resulted in Lingard reaffirming his loyalty to Man Utd.
He reportedly wishes to remain in the North West and made his intentions explicitly clear to Solskjaer.
Key to the breakthrough is Lingard’s apparent admission that he may not be a regular starter.
Indeed, with Bruno Fernandes occupying the playmaker position and Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and potentially Jadon Sancho vying for wing roles, Lingard may be seated on the bench quite frequently.
Nevertheless, Lingard is determined to ‘rebuild his career’ in Manchester. And on the back of his superb stint in London, we see no reason why Man Utd wouldn’t acquiesce to his desires.
Fernandes and Man City superstar proving doubters wrong
Meanwhile, Man Utd midfielder Fernandes says that he and fellow Portugal international Ruben Dias are changing the perception of the country’s top division.
As for former Sporting man Fernandes, critics used the lesser reputation of the Portuguese top flight to question whether he would be able to step up to the English top flight.
Now that he has done so, though, the 26-year-old has revealed his pride at proving his doubters wrong.
“The perception has changed a little, which can be good, because the championship could aim for more significant sales in the future,” he told Expresso magazine (via Sport Witness).
“After all, buying players from the Portuguese league might not be that bad. In the past they looked, perhaps, with some suspicion. They said: they come from a weaker league, less intense, with less quality, they will need time.
“Both Ruben Dias and I helped to change that idea a little. The quality and intensity depend on the player himself.”
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