Coventry City, Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town's response to Jesse Lingard offer was the right one | OneFootball

Jesse Lingard had been linked with Coventry, Middlesbrough and Ipswich as he looks for a new club following his departure from FC Seoul.

The race for automatic promotion from the Championship is shaping up to be an exciting one, with Coventry City and Middlesbrough currently on course to reach the Premier League.

However, Millwall are still in the mix, and Ipswich Town’s games in-hand mean the top two know they can’t afford many slip-ups.

With the transfer window now shut, clubs know they can only add free agents if they want to strengthen their squads for the run-in, which obviously reduces the number of options out there.

Championship trio snubbed chance to sign Jesse Lingard

Yet, one player on the market is Jesse Lingard, and it had been reported that Coventry, Boro and Ipswich were offered the chance to sign the attacker.

On one hand, you can understand why clubs may be tempted. After all, Lingard has high-level pedigree, having represented England 32 times, whilst he also won an FA Cup and Europa League with Man Utd.

At 33, he is no longer the player he was, but Lingard would bring know-how and experience to a Championship dressing room. Plus, he was impressive for FC Seoul in South Korea, where he scored ten times in 34 games in the league last season.

So, on a free, some would argue that it’s a move that could be worthwhile if Lingard helped any of the three clubs to promotion.

Jesse Lingard would have struggled to make an instant impact in the Championship

But, in reality, there are several red flags that mean the decision by the Sky Blues, Boro and the Tractor Boys makes a lot of sense.

Firstly, at this stage of the season, it’s pivotal that any addition can make an immediate impact. Ultimately, it’s all about getting results, so you don’t have time to show much patience with new signings.

Even though Lingard has experience of English football, his lack of game time recently would be a huge concern.

His last appearance came in mid-December, and whilst he has kept himself in good condition over the years, it’s normal to presume he would lack match fitness, so it could take him a few weeks to get up to speed.

Furthermore, it would be harsh to say Lingard is injury prone, but he has had a number of issues in the past, including a couple of hamstring problems in the previous three seasons.

Again, with the need for players to hit the ground running, this would create doubt over whether Lingard could cope with the intensity of the Championship.

There’s clearly a massive difference in terms of the speed of play in comparison to the South Korean league, and that change could impact your body as you adapt to a new, more physically demanding environment.

Finally, even though we don’t know Lingard’s specific demands, it’s normal to expect someone with his pedigree to command a decent salary, and it’s unclear whether he would accept a contract that runs for just a matter of months.

Just because promotion to the Premier League is massive financially, it doesn’t mean clubs shouldn’t act responsibly with the resources they have available.

Coventry, Boro and Ipswich are in the positions they are in because they have talented squads, and a lot of that is down to the individuals they have in the final third.

So, there is no guarantee that Lingard would play, and, if he wasn’t going to feature regularly, questions would be raised about whether it was a smart investment by the club that signed him.

In the middle of a fierce promotion battle, it’s natural to think that you need more, and it may have been difficult to resist the chance to sign a player of the calibre of Lingard.

But, in the bigger picture, it appears to be the right call, and no matter how this race plays out, it’s unlikely any club will regret failing to sign Lingard when they assess the season.