Jesse Lingard was hailed as one of Manchester United’s great attacking talents after his debut in 2012: 232 appearances in the red shirt speaks volumes, but the final seasons of his career at Old Trafford will not go down in the history books. With his own clothing brand and full activity on the side of football, there were many who thought Lingard had become more of a businessman than a player. When we hear about the agreement the 32-year-old has in South Korean football, this impression is probably confirmed.
When there was a lack of interest from English and European clubs of a certain size, with wage budgets that could meet the expectations of the former Manchester United star, Lingard went to South Korea just as well.
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Not exactly a natural move from the Premier League, but when we hear about the contract the 32-year-old negotiated without having been on the pitch since April 2023, we understand why.
After a slightly uneven start, he is now loved by FC Seul fans and teammates. Agent Tom Keane negotiated Lingard’s contract, with terms he describes as very good – and unusual.
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“An interesting contract I recently worked on was Jesse Lingard’s in Korea. A very good deal for Jesse. It had a football element, but also a large commercial element. “So, part of the deal was for Jesse to get his regular salary, but because of his name and what he could bring to the club, he also got a percentage of ticket revenue, merchandise and corporate partnerships. says agent Keane to The Overlap.
“It was quite a complex commercial deal. But then there was also this cultural difference – when I saw draft contracts, that part was handled in just two lines.”
“When we spoke to the club, it was very ‘oh, we’ve discussed that’. They trusted us. But I had to say that ‘that’s not how we work in Europe’.”
It worked out for Lingard, who doesn’t seem to miss games in the world’s toughest league.
