JESSE LINGARD

Will Mino Raiola bring his end at United Jesse Lingard

by Kenneth Abela

On the 6 th January 2020 at 10.19 am, Sky Sports News broke the news flash and tweeted that Jesse Lingard had changed his agent and was now being represented by super‑agent Mino Raiola. Prior to this, Jesse had been represented by an agent close to his family. Lingard’s future at Old Trafford had already been subject to speculation in earlier weeks, with multiple reports having emerged that an offer of £45m plus the England international had been lodged in exchange for Leicester City’s Maddison ‑ who has been, and remains, one of United’s long term transfer targets. The 27‑year‑old had come in for strong criticism for his performances from United fans over the last year, failing to deliver a Premier League goal or assist in the entirety of2019, though Solskjaer had jumped to the defense of the player’s performances of late ‑ suggesting he was key to league victories over Tottenham and Manchester City in December. Jesse did eventually provide master performances against Tranmere Rovers and Manchester City, even scoring against the former.

The big question is, why did Jesse Lingard change his agent, and an even bigger question, why go for super‑agent Mino Raiola?

The player himself has been, and appears to remain, keen to sign a new contract with a club he has been with since the age of seven, knowing that there is only 18 months to run on the existing agreement which was officially signed in 2017. United do have an option to extend the contract for a further year, though Lingard wants fresh terms. The general view is that Lingard has not however made the switch in order to get out of the club, but more to protect his own interests within the club. In fact, Lingard still remains a United player after the closure of the January 2020 transfer market.

Many however consider that the switch to Raiola seems like a clear sign that his time at Old Trafford is up, considering the Dutch agent’s reputation in and outside of Old Trafford.

Former Spurs player Jamie O’Hara explained, on Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast Show said: “There are two types of agent – there’s an agent you go with to help you out financially to get you a new contract, to build your base and your career, and then there’s an agent who you phone up and say, ‘I want to move’. And if you’re going with Raiola, that says to me that he’s asking ‘can you get me a move?’” The Sport Bible, for instance, reported on the 7 th January 2020 that, ‘ …the Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard is set for a move away from the club and has been offered to AC Milan by his new agent, according to reports in Italy.’

The Mirror informed its readers that the likes of AC Milan, Roma, Napoli and Inter Milan are said to have all been contacted over Lingard, with the struggling AC Milan side thought to be showing the strongest interest so far. United would probably then look for a fee of around £38m for Lingard, although Milan think he is not worth more than £24m.

Former United Red Paul Ince was of the same view, “Obviously by getting involved with him he must think that he can secure a move in the next year or so, and he’s the man to do it. But Jesse’s not a kid anymore, and ultimately, he needs to improve his performances on the pitch before he can worry about his next move.’’

How and why did Lingard end up getting in touch with Raiola? There are two schools of thought. The first is that Lingard was saddened following an eye to eye with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The United Boss had felt he had to rebuke the player last Summer over a crude Snapchat holiday video that Jesse posted. Lingard admitted in a recent interview he had been given a final warning by Solskjaer and also talked about some of the difficulties in his personal life that he has been wrestling with. “He [Solskjaer] said I was on my last chance,” Lingard said. “He said I had to get my head down and this is what I have done. I am not stupid.” Lingard had been noticeably quieter on social media since then. However it has also been reported that Lingard had learnt of the discussions being held between United and Leicester City, offering a sum of money plus Jesse for James Maddison. Jesse became upset with the situation and is understood to have confided in close friend Paul Pogba, himself a United academy graduate, about the development. Pogba broached the subject with his agent, Mino Raiola, and put the two in contact. This led to the newly‑established working relationship between the two.

It has to be emphasized that Mino Raiola has been very public with his criticism of United recently, a Club he effectively has accused of becoming a graveyard for talent. Raiola was very vocal of Paul Pogba’s ‘troubles’ at United. Raiola said, “Pogba’s problem is Manchester United. It’s a club out of touch with reality and without a sporting project. I wouldn’t take anyone there. They would even ruin Maradona, Pele and Maldini. Paul needs a club and a squad, one like Juventus was before.” This understandably caused considerable unease at Manchester United, more so when Raiola was quoted last month as even suggesting that he would stop bringing his players to Old Trafford as speculation over Pogba’s future rumbles on.

So what does the future hold for Jesse Lingard? Jesse, having played a key role for England during their euphoric run to the World Cup semi‑finals in 2018, lost his place in Gareth Southgate’s squad following a loss of form. Although most United fans would hope that Jesse remains a United player, the link with Leicester or even an Italian club could be a fresh challenge to reinvigorate his career.