Scholes thinks Everton should sign Lingard

Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes thinks Everton should consider signing current United player Jesse Lingard.

Everton are certainly looking for reasonably priced midfield/attacking players to strengthen their options in that crucial part of the team. Is Lingard a viable option?

A few years ago I would have said yes, as he had broken into the England team and was a key part of the squad that reached the 2018 Word Cup semi finals.

Lingard’s qualities were sometimes difficult to easily identify. He wasn’t an orthodox midfielder or a forward, actually kind of a hybrid mix of the two.

He was a versatile player able to operate anywhere across midfield or up front, but he seemed most effective floating between the lines and arriving late in and around the box finding space and scoring goals.

At the time of the World Cup, Lingard was one of several talents from the Old Trafford club’s youth system who had broken into the United first team.

He looked a player who would become a permanent fixture in the United and England teams for the next decade perhaps.

Along with Lingard, there was Marcus Rashford as well as a couple of young players that United had bought including Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw.

A few years back, Lingard was regarded as perhaps the most promising of the lot. He seemed a truly modern type of footballer with pace, great movement and anticipation and sound technical ability. At his best he was able to create and score goals regularly.

Anyway fast forward two years and Lingard’s career has gone backwards to the point where he has now lost his place in the United first team as several new attacking recruits have joined. He now seems surplus to requirements at Old Trafford.

The 27-year-old made only nine Premier League starts last season and scored just once. Considering that goals were a staple part of his game, that’s not a great return.

More from Prince Rupert's Tower

So it’s very likely that United will listen to offers for him this summer as Ole Gunnar Solksjaar seeks additional funds to pursue their rumoured summer targets such as Jadon Sancho. He would also probably be available for a very affordable fee too.

Now Scholes thinks that a change of club might help Lingard re-gain his past form and become the player many thought he would be a few seasons back.

However, I’m not sure. Lingard reminds me too much of a couple of former Arsenal players that the Blues have recently signed, neither of whom has pulled up any trees at Goodison Park.

So for me it’s a definite no. Although he might well be able to rediscover his past form somewhere new, I think Everton need to be looking at other prospects rather than gong down the road of recruiting players who have failed at other clubs again.

Let’s be honest, that’s a well trodden road and not one that has profited the Toffees at all. And I think its highly unlikely that Carlo Ancelotti will be interested in such a move.