FC Seoul's captain Jesse Lingard (33) just had his salary account frozen — and he wasn't happy about it. So unhappy, in fact, he reportedly considered skipping training.
Here's what went down: Lingard's paycheck was hit with a court-ordered freeze. The one who filed for it? Jung Hyun-jung, CEO of Made in Football — the agent who helped bring Lingard to Korea. She claims he owes her ₩350 million (about $250,000) in unpaid agent fees.
Lingard joined FC Seoul last year on a 2+1 deal — ₩1.6 billion for 2024, ₩1.8 billion for 2025. That's ₩3.4 billion over two years, with a club option for a third.
Jung played a key role in sealing that deal, acting as Lingard's Korean-side agent. Her commission was set at 10% of the total — ₩350 million. But so far, she says she hasn't seen a dime.
But Lingard hasn't paid the agreed agent fee — even though he personally signed the contract. It's been over a year, and the ₩350 million commission is still unpaid.
Jung's side told Dispatch, "The fee was to come from Lingard's base salary plus bonuses. But he hasn't fulfilled the payment terms, which is why we filed for the account freeze."
Lingard's camp doesn't deny the contract. But they're refusing to pay. One insider explained, "There was tension between Lingard and Jung from the start. He nearly backed out of the deal at the last minute."
According to Lingard's team, what Jung promised verbally didn't match what FC Seoul actually offered. Case in point: merchandise and ticket sales revenue.
"Jung said he'd get Lingard a cut of all players' jersey sales," the insider said. "But when they got to Korea, the contract only listed 'the player,' not 'all players.' That changed the numbers completely."
FIFA recommends agent fees of around 3–5%. But when agents help land extra perks like merch or ticketing deals (MD rights), that number can go up to 10%. Jung is believed to have used that clause in her claim.
Lingard's side says she didn't hold up her end of the deal. "Jung made verbal promises back in the UK that didn't match reality," one rep explained. "Lingard felt the 10% fee wasn't fair — so he simply didn't pay."
From the start, things between Lingard and Jung were off. Jung's camp told Dispatch, "She's the one who got the FC Seoul deal done. Once the contract was signed — including the commission clause — it should've been honored."
They added, "After signing, Lingard cut off all contact. Even FC Seoul tried to mediate, but we never heard back. In the end, filing for the account freeze was the only move we had left."
The court sided with the agent. Lingard's salary account was officially frozen — the judge ruled that since he signed the contract, he's legally bound to pay. His monthly net salary? Roughly ₩90 million (around $65,000).
Lingard didn't take it well. He reportedly pushed back hard and even refused to train at one point. To prevent a full-blown fallout, FC Seoul allegedly stepped in and covered his June salary another way. (Lingard eventually returned to team training.)
A close friend told Dispatch, "Jesse's a single dad. He covers child support, hospital bills for a sick family member, and living costs on his own. He sends about ₩70 million out of ₩90 million home to his family in the UK."
The source added, "Lingard doesn't have a lot of savings. His fashion brand 'JLingz' folded with debt. Jung probably knew the only thing left to go after was his salary — hence the account freeze."
And now? FC Seoul is the one caught in the middle.
The club's already under fire from fans over the Ki Sung-yueng transfer saga. If their captain misses games over a personal legal battle, morale — both in the locker room and in the stands — could hit rock bottom.
[Photo Credit: Dispatch DB, Lingard's SNS, FC Seoul]
