Opinion: Should Tottenham consider a move for Jesse Lingard this summer?
Jesse Lingard has been in scintillating form since joining the Hammers from Manchester United in the January transfer window.
The attacking midfielder has notched 8 goals and 4 assists in only 9 Premier League appearances this season for West Ham (TransferMarkt).
Since his arrival, Lingard has been directly involved in the most goals in the league, three ahead of Kane and Fernandes. (Fantasy Premier League).
With his recent turn in form, many clubs will undoubtedly be looking to recruit Lingard for next season, if he is to leave United that is.
If Lingard leaves Manchester I would potentially like to see him in a Tottenham shirt. Adding Lingard to the Spurs ranks would be a big risk but for the price, probably coming in at around £20 million or under, it could be one worth taking.
I will say that Lingard would be nowhere near a priority signing but could be a luxury transfer if we fix our defensive frailties in the market first.
Since Eriksen left to Inter Milan, there has been a hole in the number 10 role which Kane has taken it upon himself to fill this season. Adding Lingard a creative and direct number 10 could be the link missing between our midfield pivot of Højbjerg and Ndombele.
A massive issue we have faced this season is our ball progression through the midfield which has lacked potency in the final third. Ndombele carries the ball wonderfully through the first man, however, he often then looks for either a one-two or to release the ball and make a run towards the box.
With Lingard, he would slot perfectly into the gap between Kane, Son, Bale etc and the pivot midfield providing a creative spark that we have missed in recent weeks. This would free up the previously mentioned players to focus on finishing moves rather than creating them themselves.
Lingard could also be the perfect partner for Lo Celso who has the ability to interchange between a more central role and taking up positions wide of Kane over towards the right. This is also something Lingard possess, the ability to produce from positions across the midfield line.
A Lingard and Lo Celso partnership could encourage a more free-flowing and fluid attacking style of football with players encouraged to take up different positions during phases of attacking play.
Finally, as seen in Lingard’s stats for 2021, it is clear he is not only a creator but someone who can comfortably finish off moves as well.
This is the side of his game I believe that Lingard has improved upon tenfold and has led him to become one of the most effective players in the latter half of the season.
With our heavy reliance still on Kane and Son to be the men who put the ball away, it would be a massive addition to the squad to have someone who can be a direct threat coming in from deep.
As I mentioned it would not be a priority for me to bring Lingard during the summer window, however, if our defence is fixed in time I would look at Lingard as a potential target if we fail in our pursuits of players such as Sabitzer.
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