Ex-Man United star, Lingard is positive about Barca signing him in the January window

Former Manchester United star, Jesse Lingard, is believed to have offered himself to La Liga giants, Barcelona, ​​in an attempt to revive his fading career. The English player has been a free agent without a club since his contract at Nottingham Forest expired at the end of the 2022/23 season and has been training in Dubai while calming down.

Most recently, Lingard trained with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq for a month at the end of last year, having previously travelled to Inter Miami's Florida base to train with the MLS side in July. The 31-year-old midfielder also had a trial for West Ham for six weeks at the start of the season, but David Moyes' team was reluctant to extend this on the pretext of not wanting to waste thousands of pounds on the player.

A Barcelona-based media report, Sport, claims that Lingard has offered himself to the La Liga champions. Lingard is said to see the Blaugrana as a 'stepping stone' to revive his fading career. As a free agent, joining Barcelona would be an economical choice for a financially constrained club, which might sell players again in the January window to sign new players for Xavi Hernandez's squad.

Lingard's reported £1.7m salary will not be a stumbling block to the club's FFP restrictions. Although Barcelona has made some cheap signings in recent years due to their difficult financial situation, it would be a surprise to see Lingard join the Blaugrana in the next few weeks.

Speaking during the summer transfer window, Lingard revealed that he is still open about his next destination. "I considered all options," he said. "I never rule out any team or club, so for me, it's just about picking the right team and it has to be the right one for me. "I just want to play football in the end and that's all I want to do. Of course, the project has to suit me, the team has to move in the right direction, but I just need regular playing time and I'm still hungry."

Previously, Lingard had been offered to several Ligue 1 teams, including Lille, but the potential transfer was immediately thwarted by Brexit regulations. Teams in France can only register four players from non-EU states or countries and those from England are considered 'extra communautaire'. Lingard was also on Everton's radar during the January window, with the Toffees aware of their financial spending limits.