Everton's form after being hit with a 10-point Premier League deduction was initially excellent. While they did suffer a 3-0 home defeat to Manchester United, they then rattled off four consecutive victories against Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, Chelsea and Burnley.
The last of those lifted the Toffees to 16th place, seven points above the relegation zone, albeit having played a game more than Luton. Since then, though, they've suffered three straight defeats against Tottenham, Manchester City and Wolves to slide closer to danger. Sean Dyche's side head into 2024 in 17th place, just a point above Luton, who retain that game in hand.
Everton could look to strengthen in January in a bid to bolster their chances of survival, and they may have the option to do so without spending a penny with a move for free agent Jesse Lingard.
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Lingard came through the youth ranks at Manchester United, and after loan spells at Leicester, Birmingham, Brighton, Derby and West Ham, he returned to Old Trafford for one final season in 2022/23. His next step after his permanent departure was to sign a one-year deal at newly-promoted Nottingham Forest, but that contract wasn't renewed upon its expiry. As such, Lingard has been without a club this season.
Lingard could make Premier League return with Everton
Everton are reportedly weighing up whether to hand Lingard a "Premier League lifeline" by offering him a contract (talkSPORT). The Blues could give him the option to play his football at Goodison Park until the end of the season before assessing the situation again in the summer.
Lingard trained under Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard at Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad earlier in the season, but that didn't result in a permanent transfer. He also kept his fitness up with former club West Ham but they too opted not to sign him again (90 Min).
West Ham offer Everton Lingard hope
While he has at least been undergoing some collective high-level training sessions, Lingard would of course need time to reach Premier League match fitness after going so long without kicking a competitive ball. When he did return to the pitch, though, Everton would hope to see him recapture the form of his brief West Ham spell in the second half of 2020/21.
Lingard delivered excellent headline stats of nine goals and five assists in his 16 appearances for the Hammers, and peaked with a player of the month and goal of the month double in April. That electric form earned him a recall to Gareth Southgate's England squad, but he just missed out on the squad for the summer's European Championships and has only added three caps to his tally since.
Media members described his performances at the London Stadium as "absolutely sensational" (Jacek Kulig), while Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand marvelled at his "amazing" displays (Football London). The big question for Everton is whether that player, or something close, is still in there, and how long it will take to bring him out. On a short-term deal, though, the risk would be limited, and the reward could be high.