Roy Keane has insisted that Jesse Lingard, who was reportedly wanted by Antonio Conte in January, is not good enough for Manchester United.
ESPN reported during the January transfer window that Spurs had expressed an interest in Lingard but United refused to enter into negotiations with the Lilywhites since they saw Antonio Conte’s men as direct rivals for Champions League qualification.
It was claimed that United’s refusal to enter into talks with Spurs or West Ham left the 29-year-old disappointed.
Fabrizio Romano revealed last month on the Here We Go podcast (starting at 6:18) that Tottenham were one of three leading contenders for the England international’s signature ahead of the summer transfer window, along with West Ham and Newcastle.
Alasdair Gold has subsequently claimed on a Q&A on Football.London that Spurs had spoken to Lingard over a summer move but the North London club received indications that the attacking midfielder would prefer a move abroad.
Lingard played the majority of Man Utd’s 4-0 loss at Anfield on Wednesday after replacing the injured Paul Pogba in the 10th minute.
Roy Keane told Sky Sports after the Red Devils’ humiliating defeat: “I’ve never known so many players wanting to leave Manchester United… the greatest club in the world.
“You could see after the Everton defeat they have already left the building. They’re gone.
“Lingard coming on to try and save Man United. Lingard should have left two years ago – he’s not good enough.”
Spurs Web Opinion
It certainly made sense why Conte wanted Lingard in January, with the likes of Dele Alli, Lo Celso and Ndombele departing. I do expect us to sign a number eight this summer in order to provide more tactical flexibility but I would much prefer Eriksen to Lingard, although I do believe the Man Utd man could be a decent fit for Conte’s system.
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