ExWHUemployee has been updating West Ham fans on where the club stand in their pursuit of Jesse Lingard on The West Ham Way podcast.
Lingard took to life at West Ham seamlessly last season, managing to score nine goals and register five assists, despite not playing one single minute of Premier League football during the 2020/21 season prior to his loan move to the London Stadium.
Will Lingard join West Ham?
Yes!
No!
He impressed so much last season at West Ham, he managed to find himself back in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, and although he didn’t make the final cut for Euro 2020, he will know that regular first-team football is the only way into the national side.
ExWHUemployee spoke at length about what West Ham have planned for Lingard, as they remain interested in a permanent deal for the Manchester United man.
“I don’t think Lingard’s over yet, I don’t feel that deal’s completely over. I think there’s a chance we could go for him, but last I heard, it was very low. He wants to stick it out at Manchester United – it’s no reflection on West Ham as a club in terms of stature, in terms of the fanbase.
“Lingard loves the fans at West Ham, he loves the club in itself, but there’s just something that makes him rather stick it out at Man United. Obviously, it’s his hometown team, and it’s the club he supported as a kid, so there’s a factor, but there’s always something that seems to put these players off.”
TIF Thoughts on Lingard…
It makes sense that the Warrington-born Lingard would want to resurrect his Red Devils career, but following the signing of Jadon Sancho, he may find first-team opportunities sparse and difficult to come by, so a move back to a club where he was treated well could be the best outcome for his career.
With reports confirming that Man United have no intentions of selling Anthony Martial this summer, that means the Frenchman, Mason Greenwood, Sancho and Bruno Fernandes could all be ahead of Lingard in the battle for a position out wide or through the middle.
The Man United player will know that he will be one of the main men with the Hammers, which will see him remain in Southgate’s thoughts playing week in week out as well as getting back to enjoying his football, so moving to West Ham could be the best option.