Jesse Lingard IS in shock talks to move to South Korea, confirms FC Seoul boss – and he admits he thought a swoop for the former Man United star was ‘unrealistic’

Jesse Lingard is in shock talks to sign for South Korean side FC Seoul, the club’s manager has confirmed. 

The former Manchester United star is said to have agreed a two-year deal with an option for a third year, according to Sky Sports.

Lingard has been without a club since leaving Nottingham Forest at the end of last season, and training stints with West Ham and Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq were dead ends. 

He is not bound by Thursday’s January transfer deadline and the deal is expected to be completed in the coming days.

Lingard will arrive in South Korea on Monday for a medical and join the team’s training camp in Kagoshima, Japan, with a ‘substantial’ pay packet on offer, according to the BBC.

The ex-Manchester United star has reportedly agreed a two-year deal and could join his new team-mates for training next week 

‘I heard about it two to three weeks ago and I thought it was unrealistic,’ Seoul’s manager, Kim Gi-dong, said. 

‘I asked our director of football about it and he replied to me: yes, it’s true, we are in contact with the player, but the deal is not confirmed yet.

‘If he comes, of course, it would be great for K-League as more foreign fans would be interested in our league.

‘And if he comes as he was not playing for a while, we need to give him time to adapt rather than expect an instant impact.’

Eyebrows were raised last month when reports suggested that Lingard had optimistically offered himself to Barcelona. 

Were he to join Seoul, he would join a short list of Englishmen to have played in the K-League including Jamie Cureton and Jordan Mutch among others. 

The club’s last four finishes have been seventh, ninth, seventh, and ninth in a 12-team South Korean league.  

He made 20 appearances during his brief spell with Forest, scoring two goals.  

Lingard’s one-year deal…