Jesse Lingard is being tipped for a “last rodeo” in British football alongside Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac at Wrexham, with the former Manchester United star dropping into the free agent pool after reaching the end of his contract in South Korea with FC Seoul.
The ex-England international could be added to an ambitious Premier League promotion-chasing project in North Wales.
Lingard is, at 33 years of age, not ready to hang up his boots just yet.
He believes that, after enjoying his time in the Far East, there is still plenty for him to offer at a competitive level.
It has previously been suggested that he could join the likes of Lionel Messi and Son Heung-min in MLS.
The Old Trafford academy graduate admits that he is “open” to offers and has told The Guardian that those approaches could come from anywhere, including: “Europe, Saudi, UAE…”
Welcome to Wrexham: Lingard could be documentary star
Dwight Yorke, who once kept a close eye on Lingard in Manchester as a 1999 Treble winner with United, is of the opinion that the enigmatic playmaker could do a job alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Co in the Middle East.
He is, however, intrigued as to what Lingard would offer Hollywood co-owners at the Racecourse Ground. As a social media star that boasts a global profile, Lingard could be perfect for the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series and an ongoing bid to reach the top-flight.
Saudi Arabia or Wrexham? Yorke assesses Lingard’s options
Yorke has told PokerScout: “Jesse is an interesting character. I’ve always kept an eye on him due to the United connection.
“I really don’t know what his priority is right now, but he still obviously wants to play football, and at the Championship level, there’s no question he’d be an asset.
“Whether he wants to return to England, enjoys his life abroad, or is looking for one more pay deal in a league like Saudi Arabia, a top-seven team there would certainly take a punt on him.
“He has name recognition and has done reasonably well in South Korea.
“However, if he were to go to Wrexham, that wouldn’t be a surprise either.
“Maybe he feels it’s time to come back home to be closer to his daughter and help Wrexham get promoted to the Premier League.
“That could be one last rodeo for him, and I’ve experienced the advantages of joining a Championship team.
“I did it at Sunderland when they were 23rd, and we got promoted as champions.
“It can be done, and it’s a way to get Jesse back to a level I’m sure he’s craving.
“I would certainly consider it.
“Wrexham are a very ambitious team with wealthy backers, making good progress and currently sitting mid-table in the Championship.
“We know that with a good run, you can get promoted in a heartbeat.
“I would tell Jesse to look at it, as I’m a prime example that it’s possible.
“When it’s done, it’s a fantastic achievement, and before you know it, you’re playing Premier League football again when you thought it was all doom and gloom. I encourage him to look at it.”
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Promotion push: Wrexham piecing together transfer plans
Wrexham, who smashed transfer records on a regular basis during the summer of 2025 when investing more than £30 million ($40m) on fresh faces, are back in the market for new recruits with the January window open.
EFL pundit Don Goodman has previously said of the business that Phil Parkinson could oversee at the start of 2026: “If they go and spend money in January, I would expect it to be quality over quantity.
“I would expect maybe it would be a couple of players brought in that would go straight into the starting XI and improve them rather than players brought in for the squad.”
Lingard would tick that starting XI box, as he could offer added creativity to Wrexham’s midfield engine room – providing further service to the likes of Sam Smith, Kieffer Moore and Josh Windass.
The Red Dragons – who have won their last four matches – are currently sat ninth in the Championship table, one point adrift of the play-off places.
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