Lingard involved in Corinthians deal, spoke to Dorival and watched games | OneFootball

Jesse Lingard personally drove negotiations with Corinthians, watched their matches and spoke online with Dorival Júnior as he travelled to Brazil to finalise a move, according to Globo.com.

The 33-year-old engaged directly with football executive Marcelo Paz over roughly two weeks. He also asked former Manchester United team-mate Memphis to verify the approach, and Memphis checked with Paz, who confirmed talks.

After Paz’s initial assessment, the move was cleared by the football department and coaching staff. Corinthians weighed eight seasons at Manchester United, 182 Premier League games, England duty at the 2018 World Cup and 30 goal involvements in two seasons with FC Seoul.

Dorival joined an online call with Paz and Lingard to check his fitness. Lingard indicated he felt fine and ready to play soon. He had other options but wanted the Corinthians move and a fresh challenge after his high profile in South Korea.

Paz outlined financial terms that were swiftly accepted by his representatives. The salary fits limits set by the board amid the club’s current crisis. A Saturday night flight from London was booked after a pre-contract was signed, and Lingard was keen to travel.

He arrived in Brazil on Sunday morning and is due for medical tests on Monday before signing until the end of this year. An automatic extension to the end of 2027 applies if preset performance targets are met. He would be their seventh signing this season. They have also renewed Fabrizio Angileri’s deal.

Source: Globo.com