Is Lingard a player Everton need in January

Everton are once again being linked in the media with a move for the unsettled Manchester United forward Jesse Lingard. Is he the sort of player the Blues need in January?

Well, on the evidence of Saturday’s atrocious performance it’s not forwards but defenders Everton desperately need to try and shore up that embarrasingly inept backline that conceded five goals at Goodison Park.

The problem is that it’s going to be very difficult if not impossible to get quality defenders in during the month-long new year window.

In fact it’s hard to get in decent players in any position during January, but especially at the back where the Toffees have struggled to find and add players in successive recent transfer windows.

Last summer Everton again failed to sign a right-back, despite it being a major priority for several years, and while there were also constant stories about this centre-back or that one, none arrived not unsurprisingly given the financial constraints at the moment.

However, the media rumours now are focussing on forwards and according to reports in Football Insider one of those players is Lingard.

The former England international has had a tough time at Old Trafford recently and has struggled to find a place in the United team for a while now.

Last season of course, he went to West Ham and was re-juvinated returning to something like the player who had first broke into the United side and then England’s too.

I was expecting that he might sign a permanent contract at the London Stadium, but he didn’t stay in east London and returned to United.

The latest stories claim that the 28-year-old would prefer to stay in the northwest and so a January move to Goodison Park would apparently suit him.

Lingard has been reasonably effective when he has played this season especially it seems when he’s played on the right of the attack.

But of course, the Blues have a player in Andros Townsend who’s been very productive since he signed this summer and generally operating on that right flank.

Anyway, I doubt there’s anything to this as I can’t see the Toffees making a move for a player like Lingard with finances so tight and so many other priorities to deal with.

What do you think should Everton try to sign Lingard?