Former Manchester United player Jesse Lingard 'open' to Saudi Arabia move
Lingard's comments followed news and speculation that other top flight players like Karim Benzema would be joining the Saudi league.
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Jesse Lingard said he was open to a move to Saudi Arabia (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Former Manchester United footballer Jesse Lingard has said that he is open to moving to Saudi Arabia following the end of his contract at Nottingham Forest this summer.
The club decided not to renew Lingard's one-year contract, which saw the footballer receive £200,000 a week, after he only made 20 appearances during the 2022-23 Premier League season.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Lingard said: "Saudi Arabia are doing big things, and in the next couple of years or so, it will be one of the hotspots to go to".
"I’m not really surprised that the big names are moving out there… it’s something I would consider as well - I’ve not ruled that out either."
However, he also said that the move had to be right for him, with regular play time being a key part of any move.
Saudi football has invested heavily in its domestic football industry in recent years, with the Public Investment Fund taking a 75 per cent ownership in Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli football clubs.
The league has seen the introduction of topflight players, with Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Ruben Neves all recently being introduced into the league. They join Cristiano Ronaldo who currently plays for Al-Nassr.
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