Jesse Lingard has embarked on a one-month training stint with Al-Ettifaq, as confirmed by the club on Friday. The former Manchester United forward will be working alongside Steven Gerrard in Saudi Arabia during the team’s upcoming training sessions. Lingard is currently a free agent, having concluded his contract with Forest in June of this year. Previously, he had been training with West Ham, where he impressively netted nine goals in 16 appearances, although no official offer has materialized for his services.
In a broader context, according to Fabrizio Romano, the possibility exists that Lingard may be presented with a formal contract if Gerrard is impressed with his performance during training. This would make him the fifth former Premier League player to join Ettifaq, following in the footsteps of Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum, former Everton winger Demarai Gray, and former Fulham player Moussa Dembele.
Looking ahead, the outcome remains uncertain for Lingard after his unsuccessful trial period with West Ham. His ability to convince Gerrard to bring him on board could be the turning point needed to rejuvenate his career.