Lingard suffered a dark moment in his career at the end of his time at Manchester United, and after some twists and turns, he opted to join South Korea's leading soccer team, Seoul FC, on a free agent basis, a move that has created a lot of waves in the soccer world. Why the former Manchester United superstar moved to the South Korean top flight has been the focus of much speculation. At Seoul FC, he earns an annual salary of 1.82 billion won, or about $1.25 million, making him the king of salaries in the K-League.
In his first season with Seoul FC, Lingard appeared in 26 matches, including 23 starts, contributing 6 goals and 3 assists. In the end, Seoul FC finished 4th in the K-League, earning a spot in the AFC Elite League playoffs next season. Given that Lingard is a midfielder and Shanghai Shenhua's midfield lineup is already quite full, potential buyers could turn to the Shanghai seaport or Zhejiang side.
This year's off-season, Shanghai seaport lost the core Oscar, who has been playing for many years, and urgently need to strengthen the strength in the midfield. The Zhejiang team, on the other hand, has improved its financial strength dramatically after completing its shareholding reform. Lingard's K-League salary of only $1.25 million per year is extremely attractive to Chinese Super League teams. Plus he only has one year left in his contract with Seoul FC and will move as a free agent if he wishes. If Lingard is interested in a move to the Chinese Super League, Seoul FC may not be too generous with the transfer fee.
All things considered, Lingard is expected to join a Chinese Super League team in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, and this transfer rumor is worth paying attention to. His arrival will not only significantly improve the team's strength, but also enhance the team's market attention. For Lingard, this is both a challenge and a new chapter in his career.
