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Jesse Lingard is arriving at a stalemate with his Manchester United future after learning of the club’s January expectations, according to a report.

Lingard will be one of the main topics of focus when it comes to Man Utd transfer news next month. Last winter, he revived his career by leaving for West Ham on loan. But after returning to his parent club this season, he has been back on the fringes.

During his West Ham stint, the attacking midfielder scored nine goals from 16 appearances. Since his Old Trafford return, he has scored two from 12 – only two of which have been starts. He is yet to feature from the first minute of a Premier League match this term.

It has been a struggle for Lingard, who would have been hoping to kick on from his end-of-season renaissance. Instead, he has been stagnating again.

Now, he faces a critical decision about his future. In January, by which time he will be 29 years old, he can sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club.

Alternatively, he could try to sign for another English side six months before the end of his contract. But according to the MEN, Man Utd do not expect him to be on the move in the winter.

Although they “would prefer” to sell Lingard for a small fee in January, the England international is “planning on seeing out the season” with his current club.

There is no chance of a new contract after discussions came to a halt last month. Lingard is not happy about his lack of gametime, so wants to move on.

But if he waits until the summer, he will have his pick of clubs able to sign him without a transfer fee.

A return to West Ham has been speculated after he became a popular figure there during his six-month spell. There have also been rumours of a move to newly-rich Newcastle.

Newcastle likely to be busiest during an unusually-hectic January transfer window

Lingard waiting for Rangnick chance

For now, though, Lingard will be hoping his fortunes improve under Ralf Rangnick so he can end his Man Utd career on a high note.

Lingard opted to stay in Manchester in the summer after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer promised him more opportunities. They ultimately did not arrive, leaving the Warrington-born ace frustrated.

There is a chance Rangnick may utilise him more while serving as interim manager until the end of the season. But by then, while the German will be staying with the club in a consultancy role, Lingard may be ready to move on.

The report adds that Juan Mata, another attacking midfielder out of contract in 2022, would be open to leaving in January. What the future holds for Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani remains unclear.

Rangnick has admitted that some of his players may want to leave on loan in the winter. However, he is still assessing the squad.

“It’s still too early to speak about what might happen in the winter transfer window,” he said on Friday.

“If I look at the number of players we have, it’s still a big squad. We definitely do not have not enough players.

“We need to make sure that players want to stay here. If they see not getting enough game time here, it might make sense to speak individually with the players to see if a loan deal might make sense. But right now, it’s still too early to speak about that.”

READ MORE: Man Utd outcast handed return lifeline, with Rangnick ‘impressed’ in training

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