Lingard to leave FC Seoul after two-year stint

Former Manchester United and England midfielder Jesse Lingard will leave South Korean side FC Seoul following Wednesday’s Asian Champions League Elite clash with Melbourne City, the club confirmed on Friday.

Lingard, who joined FC Seoul at the start of 2024 after a season with Nottingham Forest, signed a two-year deal with the K-League outfit with the option of a third season but the 32-year-old has decided to pursue a new challenge elsewhere.

“We had in-depth talks with Lingard, trying to persuade him to stay with us for a little longer, but in the end, we decided to grant him his wish,” FC Seoul said in a statement.

“Over the past two seasons, he was more than just another foreign player, serving as our captain and showing great commitment to the club.

“We’d like to thank him for his contributions as a player who embodied FC Seoul, and we’d like to express our deepest admiration.”

Lingard has played 66 times in all competitions for the club, scoring 18 times. He helped FC Seoul to a fourth-place finish in the K-League in his first season to qualify for the Asian Champions League Elite.

FC Seoul finished sixth in the recently concluded 2025 season and are currently fourth in the Asian Champions League Elite eastern league phase standings.