Pranav Nair
Manchester United star Jesse Lingard ready to make permanent West Ham United switch
According to Football Insider (h/t Sports Mole), Manchester United star Jesse Lingard is ready to make a permanent move to Premier League rivals West Ham United.
The 28-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at the Hammers. He not only enjoyed increased playtime but also gave a really good account of himself as a top-flight footballer. He made 16 appearances for David Moyes’s side, scoring nine goals and assisting five more. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Lingard was amongst the best players in the Premier League in the latter half of the 2020/21 campaign. He won the Premier League Player of the Month and the Goal of the Month awards for April. To call his loan spell a success would be an understatament.
While a return to the London Stadium does appear to be a win-win, there are some issues to be ironed out before the deal is completed.
According to the report, the Hammers will have to hand Jesse Lingard a big pay rise to lure him to the club. A decision on his future will be made once the player returns to Carrington for pre-season training next month.
The attacking midfielder will enter the final year of his United contract next month but is keen to gain regular playtime. If history is anything to go by, the chances of that happening at United seem remote. While Lingard will certainly be a useful fringe player, the chances of him being given a starring role seem remote.
Lingard is in the prime of his career and can do better than to remain as a backup player at United. He shares a good relationship with David Moyes and could become a key star at West Ham. Whether that will happen remains to be seen.
The English international has made 210 appearances for United, scoring 33 goals and making 20 assists. His standout moment will remain the extra-time strike that won United the FA Cup in 2016 against Crystal Palace at Wembley.
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Lingard for all his performances was not named in the England squad for the Euros. While he may have missed out, just being a part of the conversation shows how far he has come since the turn of the year.
