Aston Villa 'plan to offer' Jesse Lingard contract ahead of Manchester United exit

Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard in the summer transfer window.

The 29-year-old is set to become a free agent this summer when his contract at Old Trafford expires. The England international has made 16 league appearances this term but has been limited to just two starts, with Lingard not used during his side’s 4-0 defeat to Brighton on Saturday.

Villa were previously linked with bringing Lingard to Villa Park in 2020, though he ultimately opted for a loan spell at West Ham United. After his successful stint at the London Stadium, Villa were subsequently touted with a move for the midfielder and similar speculation has continued ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

Journalist Ekrem Konur shared on Twitter that Villa “plan to offer” the United man a four-year deal. However, Konur has also suggested that Lingard is in high demand as an impending free agent and has already “received offers from five teams”.

The attacking midfielder somewhat revived his career at West Ham during the latter half of the 2020/21 campaign, having become a peripheral figure at Old Trafford. In 16 league games for the Hammers, Lingard scored nine goals and registered five assists - including a brace against Villa on his debut.

Steven Gerrard has already outlined that Villa intend to be busy this summer, with bookmakers having earmarked Lingard as a potential target . Speaking ahead of his side’s 3-1 win over Burnley, the Villa boss indicated that he will be looking to bolster his squad in the coming months.

"No-one at Aston Villa is satisfied with this season's points tally or how the journey's gone, if you like, but what we've done is analysed every department at the club,