Newcastle journalist Liam Kennedy has made an interesting claim on Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard.
What's the talk?
The Magpies reporter has name-checked the England international as a player he has heard strongly mentioned as a player the club will want to sign in the January transfer window.
His agent reportedly came to St. James' Park in October to watch a match and keep an eye on developments at Newcastle, ahead of a potential switch.
“The likes of Jesse Lingard and others are names that I’ve heard really strongly mentioned.”
Willock 2.0
The club are currently sat 19th in the table and without a win in their ten matches thus far. They are six points adrift of safety already and appear to be heading for relegation, which is why they need a saviour to come in and rescue them in the January window.
Joe Willock joined the Magpies in the winter market last season and helped Newcastle stay in the division by scoring an outstanding eight goals in 11 Premier League starts. He became a consistent goalscorer in the top-flight and won valuable points, which is exactly what Lingard could do for them this term.
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PIF must secure a deal for the United attacker as he could be the difference-maker for them in the second half of the campaign, much like Willock was in the 2020/21 season. Michael Carrick previously lauded the midfielder's unique skillset and claimed that he is difficult to play against. He said:
“I think his movement is excellent. It’s something that sounds quite simple, but it’s difficult to defend against.
“He senses where the space is and how to use it. I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s a dribbler with skills and tricks but he’s dynamic. How he plays, he is unique in some ways. You don’t see so much of that now as everyone wants to get on the ball. Off the ball, he’s very effective."
The £80k-per-week dynamo joined West Ham on loan last season and managed a similar output to Newcastle's current attacking midfielder, bagging nine goals and four assists in 16 Premier League outings for the Hammers. This shows that he has the quality at this level to come in and make an instant impact on the side by scoring and creating goals, which is why - as Willock was earlier this year - he could be Newcastle's hero in January.
PIF must now work hard to ensure that they can get a deal over the line for the Englishman to bolster their squad and chances of survival.
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