Manchester United opt against allowing midfielder to leave on deadline day - Reports

According to the Athletic, Manchester United did not allow attacking midfielder Jesse Lingard to go out on loan on deadline day.

The United player was linked with Newcastle United and West Ham United, with both clubs pushing for a loan deal for Lingard till the end of the window. However, United recently sent out Anthony Martial on loan to Sevilla.

Their striking options have been curtailed further after Mason Greenwood’s arrest on allegations of domestic violence. Meanwhile, 19-year old Ivory Coast international Amad Diallo was also sent out on loan to Rangers. So Lingard was not allowed to leave despite reports claiming that interim manager Ralf Rangnick agreed his departure.

Lingard spent part of the Premier League winter break training with Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford and Diogo Dalot in Dubai.

He has been thoroughly professional despite wanting to leave since the summer. The only public expression of wanting a move away came in the form of an Instagram photo where Lingard wore a West Ham jersey.

The 29-year old scored nine goals, and provided four assists in 16 appearances for the Hammers during his loan spell there last season.

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Manchester United running thin in attacking options

In what has been a tumultuous few days for the club, Manchester United went from having plenty of attacking options to looking a bit thin.

Martial was deemed surplus to requirements along with Amad Diallo. However, with Greenwood out of the picture, United have only ageing stars Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo apart from Marcus Rashford to count on as bonafide strikers.

Cavani is prone to injuries, while Ronaldo will need to be rested for the more important UEFA Champions League fixtures. Rashford seemed to recover his form in the last two games, so he will hope his purple patch continues.

Greenwood was perfectly capable of playing on the right wing as well, but so is Lingard. However, following his arrest, Greenwood is unlikely to play a game for United any time soon.

Rangnick prefers to have two attacking midfielders; in Lingard, he has a midfielder who gives him industry. The other attacking options Rangnick has are Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga. Elanga has impressed in recent games, and is set to feature regularly for the club in the coming months.

Nevertheless, Lingard might be up for increased game time now. His brother had recently compared Manchester United to a prison, on Instagram. However, Lingard, who has been at the club since the age of seven, now has an unexpected second wind, to prove his prowess all over again.