Jesse Lingard: Al Ettifaq move edging closer but former Man Utd star must wait until January for debut

Jesse Lingard is close to signing for Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq, but will not be able to make his debut until January.

Lingard played in a friendly and scored against Al Khaldiya this week, with talks continuing over a permanent deal.

Al Ettifaq boss Steven Gerrard wants to add Lingard to his squad, but can only do so in January due to the dominance of foreign players in Saudi Arabia.

The rules state that Saudi Pro League clubs can only have a maximum of eight foreign players in their squad for the day. As things stand, Al Ettifaq already have 10 signed up, including former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and former Everton winger Demarai Gray.

Some foreign players in the squad will have to be moved in January to allow Lingard to be officially unveiled as an Al Ettifaq player.

Talk to Aerial sports In June, Lingard spoke about the prospect of moving to Saudi Arabia and said the country was “one of the hot spots to go to” for a footballer.

“I’m considering all options,” he said. “I’ve never ruled out a team or a club, so for me it’s just about picking the right team and it has to be the right one for me.

“Saudi Arabia is doing great things and in the next few years it will become one of the hot spots to travel to.

“I’m not really surprised that the big names are moving there. Like I said, they’re doing big things and it’s something I would consider as well – I haven’t ruled out that neither.

“It has to be good for me at the end of the day. I have to trust my intuition, but I’m always hungry and I strive to succeed.”

Lingard became a free agent after leaving Nottingham Forest when his one-year contract expired at the end of last season and had been training with former club West Ham.

The 30-year-old scored 35 goals in 232 appearances for Manchester United before leaving for Forest. He also has 32 caps for England.