View: Better than Snodgrass – West Brom must secure ‘top class’ talent PL winner called ‘unique’
Sky Sports report that West Brom are interested in a loan move for Manchester United player Jesse Lingard, and he could be a big boost if he signed.
The 28-year-old has found game time hard to come by this season and is enduring a difficult spell in his career.
He has found himself banished from the England squad by Gareth Southgate after scoring just four goals in 40 games for the Red Devils last term.
Lingard is in need of a stint away to reinvigorate his passion for the game, so Sam Allardyce could be the perfect manager for him right now.
Big Sam has already proved he still has an astute touch in the transfer market as new signing Robert Snodgrass performed well in his debut against Wolves.
Lingard could be even better than Snodgrass.
A return of 33 goals, 20 assists and an impressive 210 games for Man United shows his pedigree, not to mention a World Cup goal too.
In direct comparison with Snodgrass, the attacking midfielder has managed 87% pass accuracy throughout his career to the 33-year-old’s 79%.
He also has a Europa League and FA Cup medal to boast of, scoring the winner in the final of the latter in 2016.
Snodgrass has no such honours, and neither do most of the West Brom squad, so Lingard’s winning mentality could prove valuable.
He has been criticised for his poor attitude in the past, but Big Sam should help him to see the bigger picture at West Brom.
It is the perfect opportunity for the Man United misfit to win back a place in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad, but to do so he has to perform.
And Lingard is capable of doing exactly that.
There is a reason why Michael Carrick labelled him a “unique” player – he is capable of moments of magic such as that cup final goal against Crystal Palace, and the 20-yard strike against Panama in 2018.
We are hoping Lingard shows the attributes that led Solskjaer to call him “top class”, and he doesn’t end up as a flop like Oliver Burke.
That duo arrived during our last relegation fight and only served to hinder us.
With Big Sam at the helm, however, we trust that Lingard will not fall into the same category.
In other West Brom news, a reliable journalist has provided a transfer update in regard to a striker.