"One of the weirdest transfers ever."

It wasn't just his fans in Korea. British media were also doubtful about Lingard's choice to join the Seoul team. British media Giveme Sports on Sunday (KST) introduced 19 strange transfers in the history of soccer. Lingard's trip to Seoul was included. After moving away from Manchester United's interest, Lingard was linked to several English Premier League clubs in 2022. West Ham and Newcastle wanted him. However, Nottingham signed him on condition that he allegedly pay him 200,000 pounds per week. "The transfer shocked the soccer world," he said. "A year later, Lingard left the team due to the expiration of his contract. If you thought Lingard's move to Nottingham was an odd one, then in 2024, Lingard has opted for an even stranger. He signed a two-year contract with Seoul in the K-League, becoming the most prestigious foreign player Seoul has ever signed."

On the same day, Tribune said, "Lingard, who has been without a team since leaving Nottingham, has risked a huge salary cut to complete the transfer," adding, "Lingard will receive 17,500 pounds (about 29.45 million won) per week, which is a significant decrease from the 180,000 pounds (about 300 million won) he received at Nottingham." Lingard will be one of the highest paid players in the K-League despite his low wages, responding to Lingard's choice in a quizzical manner.

Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan, an English football specialist, also expressed his surprise at Lingard's move to Seoul. "Lyngaard wasted his career and opportunities. He did the same at Nottingham, and eventually reached this level. There is no doubt that Lingard was a good player during his time at Manchester United, but now it is a waste of time. He is also giving up his talent."

Like this, Lingard's transfer is all the talk of the town. Lingard finally signed an official joining ceremony on Tuesday. "I am looking forward to it and excited. It is a huge challenge for me and I have accepted it. It is a chapter of my life. I will do my best to bring joy and smiles to fans in Korea and FC Seoul," Lingard said. "I have a dream that I want to achieve in Seoul and I also want to be on the field. My goal is to win the trophy here."

Lingard, who entered the country through Incheon International Airport on the 4th, announced his recruitment on the same day after receiving a medical test on the 6th and signing the contract on the 7th. Lingard is an FA without a team, so there is no transfer fee and the contract period is 2+1 years (optional). The Seoul club explained the background of the recruitment, saying, "As a leading team in the K-League, we have been leading the recruitment of big names with both skills and popularity, and have been making impactful attempts that will lead to the success of the K-League as well as the development of Korean soccer."

Lingard said, "There were many offers last summer. The reason I chose Seoul was that other clubs made verbal offers, but Seoul showed me the contract in writing. The staff even went to Manchester in person to see me. I checked my physical condition. At that moment, I decided to go to Seoul."

Lingard, who has no team to play for since leaving Nottingham Forest last summer, said, "It has been a long time since I played for eight months. I know many people are concerned about my physical condition. In January, I had to sign autographs with my club. I trained twice a day with a personal trainer in Dubai to improve my physical condition. It was my last game in late April, but I think I can improve my physical condition until the opening game."

Lingard is the "big name" that the K-League has not seen for 41 years. Lingard, an attacking midfielder and winger from Manchester United Youth, was born and raised by the likes of Park Ji-sung and Cristiano Ronaldo and joined Manchester United's first team led by Alex Ferguson in 2011. After gaining experience by loaning from Leicester City, Birmingham City, Brighton, and Derby County, he played as Manchester United's main resource from 2015 to 2020, winning the FA Cup, EFL Cup, and European Europa League titles. In particular, he shot "career high" while being heavily favored by Jose Mourinho. Lingard, who hit the "jackpot" at West Ham, returned to Manchester United in 2021 and played for one season before moving to Nottingham in 2022 where he played for one season. He played in 32 A-match games (six goals) for the England national team. He is nicknamed "The Fifer" by performing a ceremony of playing the flute when he scores a goal.

Lingard will play with Ki Sung-yueng from the Premier League in Seoul. "I once had several showdowns with Ki Sung-yueng from Swansea in the Premier League. It was an honor in itself. I hope that working together in Seoul will create synergy. I am looking forward to seeing Ki as a legend of FC Seoul." As for his new K-League, he said, "I have learned a lot about the K-League since I came to Seoul. I have been studying culture and fanbase. I think the K-League can develop further and advance into the global market. There will be roles that I can play," he said, expressing his willingness to contribute to the globalization of the K-League.

During the press conference, he was asked directly how much his annual salary is. "I can't tell you the details of the contract," Lingard said with a big smile. "Football is one thing and personal business is another. The most important thing to me is soccer. I came here because I can play and contribute to this. For now, I will focus on soccer only."

On Kim Ki-dong, Seoul's coach, he said, "I've heard a lot about him. I heard that he is a coach who knows how to win like Mourinho, whom I respect. I'm looking forward to meeting with Kim Ki-dong."  사설 토토사이트