Revealed: Jesse Lingard Turned Down 4-year Deals To Join Forest 

Prior to joining Nottingham Forest, Jesse Lingard, who is now a free agent, reportedly turned down offers of four-year contracts at Newcastle and Fulham.

An attractive 12-month contract brought the former England international to the City Ground in the summer of 2022. When he decided not to go back to West Ham, where he had previously thrived on loan from Manchester United, he may have ended up at St. James’ Park or Craven Cottage, according to The Athletic.

READ ALSO: Who Could Do A Better Job Than Eric Ten Hag At Man United? 

Despite trying out for West Ham and Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, Lingard was let go by Forest at the conclusion of the 2022–2023 season and hasn’t had a club since. He is still working on becoming fit in the hopes of signing a new contract, but he might be second-guessing the significant career decision he made eighteen months ago.

The 32-cap midfielder is still only 31 years of age and has 232 appearances for Premier League giants United to his name. Questions are, however, reportedly being asked of his motivation and fitness after taking in just 20 outings for Forest – with his last coming off the bench against the Red Devils back in April.

Lingard is rumoured to be attempting to secure a move to America. Lingard has stated on social media that he has “motivation, hunger, and love for the game.” He would prefer to join MLS and follow Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, but the 2024 US season isn’t expected to start until February.