Al-Ittifaq is set to sign ex-Manchester United player

Jesse Lingard, who has been training with Al-Ittifaq recently, has shown promising results, and the club is preparing a preliminary contract offer for 2024.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Steven Gerrard, the manager of the Arabian club, has been impressed by Lingard's performance during training sessions and is keen to sign the midfielder. Georginio Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson are also advocating for Lingard's move.

However, Al-Ittifaq can currently only offer Lingard a preliminary contract, as they have filled all their roster spots and can officially sign the midfielder in the January 2024 transfer window.

Nevertheless, Ben Jacobs has stated that the deal may not materialize due to Lingard's high wage demands and his reluctance to wait until January. The club cannot free up a spot for the Englishman until the end of the year, and it's unlikely they will release two players when the transfer window opens.

Jesse Lingard has played for Manchester United, Leicester, Birmingham, Brighton, Derby, West Ham, and Nottingham. He has also represented the English national team on several occasions. Currently, the midfielder is without a club, as his contract with Nottingham Forest expired in the summer, and we reported a month ago that he had started training with Al-Ittifaq.