Al Ettifaq keen to offload players to sign Lingard – source

Al Ettifaq are ready to reduce the number of foreign players in their squad in order to sign Jesse Lingard, a source has told ESPN.

Lingard trains with the Saudi Pro League side, managed by Steven Gerrard, but is yet to sign a permanent deal.

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Saudi league rules only allow eight foreign players to be included in a squad for a match and Al-Ettifaq, which has 10, is looking for ways to add at least one.

A source told ESPN that Swedish international Robin Quaison and Brazilian winger Vitinho are two possible departures.

Gerrard is responsible for recruiting foreign players and has already signed Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Demarai Gray since taking over as boss in July.

Gerrard wants to have Lingard in his team. The 30-year-old former Manchester United striker played and scored in a friendly against Al Khaldiya earlier this month.

Lingard, who has also attracted interest from La Liga side Osasuna, has been without a club since leaving Nottingham Forest at the end of the season.

He also spent time training with West Ham, where he had a successful 2021 loan but permanent move to Al-Ettifaq, seventh in the Saudi Pro League table, six points behind leaders Al-Hilal , now seems the most likely. .

Lingard scored 35 goals in 232 appearances for United before leaving Old Trafford in 2022. He was capped 32 times by England and was part of Gareth Southgate’s side that reached the World Cup semi-finals in Russia in 2018.