Why signing Jesse Lingard will give Everton some depth in attack
According to Football Insider (h/t Daily Express), former Premier League defender Alex Bruce has urged Everton to sign Jesse Lingard.
Lingard, who plies his trade with the Toffees rivals Manchester United has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford. An academy graduate at United, Lingard has failed to make much of an impact in recent times after an impressive spell in the 2017-18 campaign.
His poor displays in the middle have seen him get restricted to the sidelines this season, making just 35 appearances altogether, of which 17 have come from the bench. Lingard last scored a Premier League goal in December 2018, in their home win against Huddersfield.
Since then, his performances on the pitch have taken a downward spiral that he has fallen behind the likes of Juan Mata, Andreas Pereira and now Bruno Fernandes ahead of him in the picture.
Fernandes has been sensational since his arrival at Old Trafford, with two goals and three assists in just five league games. His emergence as one of the side’s first names in the teamsheet puts Lingard’s spot in more danger.
Everton, on the other hand, just have one attacking midfielder in their ranks – Gylfi Sigurdsson. The Iceland international has been a vital player for the Toffees in the last two campaigns. However, Sigurdsson is showing signs of ageing, with his performances taking a sudden dip. He has managed just one goal and two assists despite appearing 26 times in the league.
He will turn 31 this September and is clearly not the player he once was. Apart from him, Everton lack another creative midfielder amongst them and Lingard would be a perfect fit given the fact that he prefers to play in that position.
Lingard played a crucial role in Manchester United’s second-place finish in the 2017-18 season. He was in forefront of United’s success, playing 33 of their league games, netting 8 goals and providing six assists.
This is proof that the £75k-a-week Englishman can perform when given the chance and Lingard must now be craving for some game time considering his current situation. Everton will be able to provide that as they clearly have a dearth of players in that role.
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Verdict
With Sigurdsson’s form dipping and Everton needing another player in that place, 27-year-old Lingard seems like a good option. The midfielder still has plenty of football left in him and he could revive his career once again under an experienced coach like Ancelotti.
Moreover, he could also offer Ancelotti plenty of choices in the middle if a deal works out between both the parties. Hence, the Toffees must pay heed to Bruce’s words and land him at Goodison Park.
