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Rob dawsonCorrespondent
Tottenham is interested in signing Jesse Lingard from Manchester United, sources told ESPN.
José Mourinho is eager to meet Lingard, who became a key player during his time at the helm at Old Trafford, and has asked President Daniel Levy to explore the possibility of bringing him to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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Sources have told ESPN that discussions are taking place between intermediaries.
Lingard has slipped down the pecking order under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and is open to a move to find more first-team football. Zenit St Petersburg is also interested.
Solskjaer has told Lingard that he wants to keep him as part of his team and has given him assurances that he will have opportunities during a packed season.
Lingard would be reluctant to leave his childhood club United after going through the academy, but believes that at 27 he needs to play more regularly. He enjoyed his best season with Mourinho, scoring 13 goals in 48 games during the 2017-18 campaign when United finished second behind Manchester City.
The following summer he played a leading role for England during their run to the World Cup semi-finals, but has since lost his place in Gareth Southgate’s team.
Lingard scored in back-to-back matches against Leicester City and LASK Linz at the end of last season, but was frustrated after playing just seven minutes of the Europa League mini-tournament in Germany and was an unused substitute during the 2-1 loss to Sevilla in the semifinals.
He was one of the top players in United’s preseason physical fitness tests after going through a rigorous individual program while on vacation in Greece, but was still overlooked in the club’s 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace and did not enter the list of the day.
Sources have told ESPN that the exchange of Tottenham for Lingard may hinge on finding a buyer for Dele Alli.
Tottenham have secured deals for Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon and Mourinho is open to cutting his squad if it means he can bring in more new faces before the transfer deadline on October 5.
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