Manchester United did not make a single signing in the January transfer window, despite being linked with a number of players throughout the month, however, with eight outgoings, there was a ninth on the cards that never made it over the line, although Ralf Rangnick gave it the green light to go ahead.

What's the word?

Transfer insider, Dean Jones, has now dropped a huge bombshell on the potential Jesse Lingard move that saw both Newcastle United and West Ham interested in signing the player on Deadline Day.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

"Jesse Lingard, there's frustration all round on that one. I know Jesse's slightly aggrieved that he's not got the move he wants."

"To be honest, I don't think Rangnick had a problem with him going, I think it's other people at the club that don't want him to leave right now and I did hear, one thing that was quite interesting, was that United were interested in adding a survival tax, whereby it would cost Newcastle a bit more if they ended up staying up with Jesse Lingard in the team."

It was reported last night that the Manchester United board blocked the move, despite the Manchester United manager giving Lingard his blessing to leave the club on loan to see out the final months of his contract.

Rangnick will be fuming

The German coach was appointed as the interim manager at Old Trafford in November and has had a mixed reception since Manchester United have returned to slightly shaky form, losing and drawing two of their last three games as the side competes with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham for a top-four spot.

It seemed that he was put in place to weed out the problems that were left behind by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but with many reports surfacing that the board were not willing to back the manager this January, this will only leave Rangnick further fuming as he clearly was happy for Lingard to leave the club, but the move was blocked over his head, revealing a potential disconnect between the manager and the board.

Rangnick is supposedly set for a consultancy role behind the scenes when Manchester United have appointed their new head coach in the summer, however with this clear disregard for his intentions with the players, it would be fascinating to see just what the 63-year-old will have the power to work on from the boardroom.

Manchester United will be facing Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday evening, and whether Rangnick will include Lingard in his squad after making it clear he was happy for him to leave the club this week, is a story now filled with intrigue.

In other news: Ralf must utilise Lingard in top four race