Newcastle are ready to make an enormous offer to Jesse Lingard as they look to make him the first signing of their exciting new era.
Cash-rich courtesy of a £300m takeover, the Magpies have reportedly idenitifed Lingard as a top target.
His deal at Old Trafford expires next summer and is likely to be a man in demand come the January window. The likes of West Ham and Everton have been linked with moves for Lingard, who would command a £12m fee.
However, The Sun claims Newcastle are ready to top any offer made by the Hammers and the Toffees in order to land the 28-year-old. Furthermore, they also plan to entice Lingard to the North-East by offering him a giant financial package. That could see the player earning a healthy pay-hike on the reported £100,000 a week he currently earns at Old Trafford.
That would help add more goals to a Newcastle side yet to win this season.
And pundit Ray Parlour reckons there’s a strong chance the Magpies will sign him.
“Certainly (West Ham) would be interested,” said Parlour on talkSPORT. “Paying the wages is the big problem. Everyone’s looking at Newcastle now, who they’re gonna go for. I’m sure they’d be paying a lot more wages than West Ham.”
Lingard looks unlikely to be the only departure at Old Trafford in January.