West Ham United make offer to Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window
According to the Daily Mail, West Ham United have made an offer to Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, with the player running out of his current deal at Old Trafford at the end of the season.
He is set to become a free agent in the summer, with neither the player nor the club giving any updates on his contract situation. It would mark the end of a long-standing association between Lingard and United, with the Englishman one of the success stories to come out of the academy.
The midfielder has risen through the ranks at Carrington and established himself in the first team, with then-manager Louis van Gaal promoting him to the senior side in the 2015/16 season. Since then, he has gone on to become a regular face for the Red Devils as well as the England national team.
However, in recent years, the 29-year-old has seen himself be dropped from the starting XI for United after falling down the pecking order in midfield. This has also seen him fail to make any appearances for England, missing out altogether on the UEFA 20202 Euros squad.
West Ham return on the cards
After being snubbed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season, Lingard joined West Ham on loan during the second half of the campaign. He was an instant hit, scoring 9 goals and producing 5 assists in just 16 games for the Hammers and proving to everyone that he was not done just yet.
Despite his stellar performances in London, the player snubbed a permanent move to the Irons last summer in an attempt to try and win back his place at United. Although that plan did not work out, he has once again been offered an escape route by West Ham as they have made an early move to sign him for free.
Lingard was excellent during his loan spell at the London Stadium, almost single-handedly guiding West Ham to European football. The midfielder’s influence last season saw the Hammers reach the semi-finals of the Europa League this term, falling to eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt.
It was a message to all his doubters and critics that he deserved to be in the playing XI, and returned to United with that expectation. However, he was snubbed by both Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick this campaign, and it seemingly looks like an exit is on the cards soon.
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He has not appeared for the Red Devils since last month’s 3-1 loss to Arsenal, and with the season finally over, it may have been the last time we saw the Englishman turn out for his boyhood club. If he leaves, he departs by giving fans fond memories of winning the FA Cup, with Lingard scoring the winner in extra time.
It remains to be seen if West Ham is his eventual destination, but if so, both he and the London club will be hoping that he can recreate the same kind of form as last season. At 29, he is in the prime years of his career, and David Moyes will be looking to make the most of having the midfielder in his squad once again.
