Al-Ettifaq manager Steven Gerrard has praised Jesse Lingard and hopes to sign him on a permanent deal in the January transfer window.
Lingard had joined Al-Ettifaq on a short-term deal to train in Saudi Arabia after his contract at West Ham expired in the summer.
The 30-year-old has been a free agent after a disappointing season on loan at Nottingham Forest, where he failed to find the back of the net under Steve Cooper.
He is now hoping to reignite his career with Al-Ettifaq having the opportunity to turn his deal permanent if the Englishman makes a good impression at the Dammam-based side.
Steven Gerrard spoke on Lingard’s transfer and revealed the club’s intention to extend the winger’s stay in Saudi Arabia beyond his one-month contract.
“That could be a possibility but we’re not ready to make a decision regarding any player in the January transfer window yet,” Gerrard told Al-Arabiya TV channel when asked about Lingard.
“We know that Jesse is an incredible talent and I’ve been following his career. He’s out of contract at the moment and he can play for any club as a free agent as well.
“We’ll be evaluating his progress in the coming weeks and he knows he has an opportunity here but we haven’t made a final decision yet.
“Jesse is a fantastic player who is looking forward to his next challenge. He wants to keep his options open and we’ll give him the support he needs in the short term to showcase his talent.
“We know that that we have an experienced player and we believe that he still has good years ahead of him because he is a special player,” he added.