Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United star has no future at the club

Manchester United are one of the biggest clubs in the world. And most times, just talent is not enough to succeed at Old Trafford.

That has been the story with Jesse Lingard. The Englishman’s talent has never been in question, even when he was with the club’s youth academy. But he has never quite managed to put it all together and become an undroppable at Old Trafford.

Now at 28 years of age, he is hardly young anymore and has a few years of top level football left in him. As a result, he decided to join West Ham United on loan till the end of the season after finding it difficult to break into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-team. And he has made a very bright start to his career with the Hammers.

It is unlikely though that he will return to Old Trafford and make an impact on the squad. With the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Donny van de Beek at the club, that is highly unlikely. As a result, a brighter future might lie away from Manchester United and Rio Ferdinand appears to be of the same belief. As reported by the Metro, he said:

"‘What’s his ambition here, beyond this season, what is he [Lingard] looking to do?‘If West Ham don’t put a bid in to buy him at the end of this loan I think this loan has to be seen as a failure.‘That’s got to be his aim… to get a bid from West Ham and other clubs to take him out of Man United.‘Because I don’t see him going back to Man United and really affecting that squad now.‘I think they’ve moved past him with the players they’ve recruited, he doesn’t feature, hasn’t done for so long.’"

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Lingard does not appear to have a long-term future at Manchester United

Lingard has been with the Red Devils for a long time. But it might be time for him to look elsewhere as it is clear that he is surplus to requirements at Old Trafford right now. And West Ham United might not be a bad choice at all.

They look like a side on the up under David Moyes. There were serious questions about them even staying up at the start of the season but now they find themselves challenging for a European spot. That is a remarkable turnaround and it might not be the worst idea for Lingard to try and make it his permanent home when his loan deal comes to an end.

Of course, leaving Manchester United is never an easy decision. But at this point of time, it appears to make sense for all parties involved.