Strange Lingard decision

Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick’s decision to bring Jesse Lingard on as a substitute in their FA Cup tie against Aston Villa has either confirmed the player is staying at Old Trafford or ensured that he won’t be playing against the Red Devils in a later round!

Lingard came off the bench with the score at 1-0, coming on with four minutes to play and helping United see out a narrow victory over Steven Gerrard’s side.

They have subsequently qualified for the fourth round, where they are set to play Middlesbrough in February; the Hammers, by comparison, will face Kidderminster Harriers.

Still, the decision to bring Lingard on means that he is now cup-tied in the competition and if he does complete a move to the London Stadium, as David Moyes wants, he won’t be able to play in any further rounds of the tournament.

Moyes wants to sign Lingard and has told the club’s owners so. A move will be attempted before the January window is out.

But Rangnick has either sent a message to the England international over his future, or merely ensured that Lingard won’t be a threat against them later this season.

It’s a risky game, because it may also have knocked a million quid or so off the asking price, which may well stand at around £5m in this transfer window.

We’ll have to wait and see whether this has any sort of impact on the negotiations.