Solskjaer admits Man Utd are hoping to agree new contract with 28-year-old star

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: Jesse Lingard of Manchester United celebrates with teammates after scoring their side's second goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester United at London Stadium on September 19, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Manchester United are hoping to reach an agreement with Jesse Lingard on a new contract at Old Trafford, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed in his pre-match press conference.

Lingard has started the season in good form, scoring two goals and assisting the 95th-minute winner against Villarreal despite being sparingly used by Solskjaer.

The 28-year-old was one of the best players in the Premier League during his half-season loan with West Ham last season, scoring nine goals and assisting a further four in just 16 appearances for David Moyes’ side.

Lingard has less than one year remaining on his contract at Manchester United, sparking rumours he could be about to leave the club. He is free to speak with foreign clubs over a pre-agreement in January.

“Jesse has had a good start to the season, of course,” Solskjaer is quoted as saying by the official Manchester United website.

“He’s come on and scored a few goals for us, that’s been very important for us. He knows what we want, we want to prolong his contract, we see him as an important player for us, it’s obviously up to him to get more playing time, it may be up to me giving him more playing time because he deserves to but every time I pick a team, I have to leave some players out. 

“Hopefully we can get a deal sorted for Jesse because we really rate him, he’s a top player and top person who’s good to have around the club.”

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In addition to finding himself back in the Manchester United fold, Lingard has also been included in the last two England camps, signalling the faith shown in him by manager Gareth Southgate.

A potential extension to his contract would protect his value, which could be one of the reasons the club is looking to tie him down to a long-term deal. Furthermore, the club is known for making concerted efforts to keep academy players.

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