Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana reacts to Jesse Lingard post as ex-Man United star in talks for Premier League return
Amadou Onana has dropped a potential transfer clue after liking an Instagram post from Jesse Lingard.
Lingard is currently a free agent after leaving South Korean side FC Seoul in December 2025, after the two parties mutually agreed to terminate his contract.
Now 33, Lingard made just shy of 70 appearances for Seoul, scoring 19 times and providing 10 assists.
As such, he’s now one of the biggest names on the free agent market, and has been touted with a host of clubs across European football.
Amadou Onana responds to Jesse Lingard post amid PL return whispers
Aston Villa are being strongly linked with signing Brahim Diaz from Real Madrid before Monday’s 7pm deadline, as Unai Emery looks to bolster his attack force further.
Therefore, it looks clear that there is room in Emery’s Aston Villa side for another versatile attacking midfielder, and so Lingard could be potentially viewed as an alternative if a deal for Diaz can’t be struck.
As revealed by the Daily Mail, Lingard has been in contact with a number of British teams over the last week or so, which includes Premier League sides, as well as being in talks over a move to Serie A.
The 32-cap England international last turned out in English football’s top flight in the 2022-23 season, where he made 17 Premier League appearances for Nottingham Forest, providing no goals or assists.
However, taking to his Instagram account on Saturday, Lingard posted a handful of pictures of himself both in the gym and on the training pitch, captioned simply with the word: ‘Grafting’.
Among the likes of Newcastle’s Kieran Tripper and Arsenal’s Declan Rice to like the post was Aston Villa’s Onana, which is interesting given neither of them have ever played on the same team as one another.
Could this be a hint towards Lingard signing for Aston Villa? We’ll have to wait and see…
- Read more: Aston Villa have leeway to seal late deal for player Pep Guardiola loves after Evann Guessand exit
Lingard has shown form with Seoul – Villa may be better waiting
With 13 goals and seven assists in 41 total appearances for Seoul in the 2025 season, Lingard has shown that not only is he still able to stay fit, but he can still produce the goods too.
However, it’s not a controversial statement to say that the Premier League is a better standard of football than the K League, respectfully, and it doesn’t guarantee he’d come back and produce similar numbers.
Villa have been able to bolster their attacking options through the signings of Tammy Abraham, Brian Madjo and Alysson this winter too, whilst Emiliano Buendia is enjoying a Villa Park resurgence too.
So, if Emery is looking to add another forward player in the near future, then he’s perhaps better off waiting until the summer to seek a more long-term and safer option than Lingard.
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