Louis Saha questions Lingard move to Corinthians, suggests Premier League return | OneFootball

Louis Saha has questioned Jesse Lingard’s decision to join Corinthians, arguing the forward could still play in the Premier League. Lingard is expected to debut against Fluminense at 21:30 on Wednesday at the Maracanã in the ninth round of the Campeonato Brasileiro after receiving work-visa clearance.

“I am a bit critical when it comes to players like Jesse Lingard. I love Corinthians and Brazil, but I really believe he could still be playing in the Premier League. I simply do not understand,” he told Ozoon.

“He may be happy playing for Corinthians, and I respect the team and its success. However, for his own chance of playing for England, because he has the level for it, I do not think it is the right decision.”

Announced in early March, Lingard trained with the squad while paperwork was finalised, and is now available to head coach Dorival Júnior.

He arrives from FC Seoul, where across two seasons he played 66 games, scored 19 goals and supplied 10 assists, his last competitive appearance came in December 2025.

A Manchester United academy graduate, Lingard made 235 appearances, scored 35 goals and recorded 21 assists, winning the Europa League, FA Cup, EFL Cup and Community Shield. He also had loans with Leicester City, Birmingham City, Brighton, Derby County and West Ham.

After leaving United he played for Nottingham Forest before moving to South Korea. He has signed for Corinthians until the end of 2026, with an automatic extension to 2027 if targets are met, and has 32 England caps including the 2018 World Cup.

Source: Meu Timao