Inside story of Tottenham’s silent pursuit of Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard

Tottenham Hotspur have put themselves in the queue to sign Jesse Lingard, who is set to run down his contract at Manchester United.

Lingard, fresh from a brilliant loan spell at West Ham, was expected to enjoy more playing time at the Red Devils this season, but he is yet to start a league game this season.

Clubs have been alerted by the fact that his current deal will run out this summer, with West Ham, Crystal Palace and now Tottenham asking what it will take to sign the goalscoring midfielder.

Spurs keeping all options open

Tottenham are aware the player is open to move to London, and will receive offers across board - but they are not deterred by that.

The Spurs board believes Antonio Conte is a great manager, and most players will want to play for him given his track record.

But it will take more than just a good manager’s pedigree to get the deal done.

Contact has been made with the Lingard’s representatives, and a proposal has been presented to try and persuade him that moving to north London would enhance his chances of getting back into the England team.

Why Tottenham are looking at Lingard

Tottenham are looking to build a team for Antonio Conte, and quick players who can multi-task are high on the radar of the north London club.

The 29-year-old is quick enough to play on both flanks, and has the intelligence to lead the line, something Conte deems very important as he looks to generate internal competition between his forwards.

He is an English international with so much experience, and will have a point to prove at his next club, after trying to knuckle down and get a regular place in the United team without success.

The Tottenham manager recently said he knows his team has a gap to make up with the top sides.

He wants to bring in players that will be able to compete with clubs like Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, who have pulled away from the pack due to investment and skilled coaching.

Conte said about closing the gap: “I am not stupid enough to understand there is a big gap with the important teams in England.

“To reduce the gap you have to improve the squad, improve the quality of the training and the work.

“You have to have a project and to have a programme.

“At this moment we have to work a lot in many aspects to try to bring the gap to a close level.

“At Chelsea they have worked very well to win the Champions League, and they have invested a lot of money in the last few years.

Why Lingard could sign for Spurs

High on Lingard’s agenda will be a club that will guarantee him playing time, and is willing to make him an important part of the team.

He is the kind of player that wants to feel loved to get the best out of him, and even though he feels the respect and affection from Manchester United, he knows he’s at a point in his career where playing time is key.

Tottenham have the game time he seeks, and a project to win a trophy in the next two seasons is being built at North London, so it will be interesting to see if this excites him.

There is also the small matter of the World Cup in Qatar coming up.

Lingard knows that playing regularly in a team doing well will go a long way in enhancing his chances of making Gareth Southgate’s team, after narrowly missing out in the Euros.