Football journalist Dean Jones has been sharing some insight regarding the possibility of West Ham United making a move to sign Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard this summer.
This comes after Jones made an appearance on a recent episode of Touchline Talk where he discussed a range of transfer-related topics.
On the subject of Lingard, who West Ham have reportedly been interested in signing this summer, Jones had this to say on the matter.
He said: “I’m told that West Ham have had positive sounds, from their point of view, that he’s going to become available for transfer at the end of the month, and in that case, I think that they do become the most likely landing spot for him.
“I think the fact that they’ve kept hold of Declan Rice is very important, and Jesse will be buoyed by that and seeing that that squad is still there from last season.
“Sure, a bit disappointed, as most West Ham fans are, that they haven’t built on what they did last season, but the foundations are all still there.
“He loved being the star man in that team, he knows that West Ham built around him so that he would be the guy that thrives and shines.
“I think that there is renewed optimism at West Ham that this deal can be revived, and that Jesse Lingard can end up playing for West Ham again this season.”
TIF Thoughts on Dean Jones’ comments on a potential transfer for Lingard…
Given how Lingard managed to make a big impact at the London Stadium by scoring nine goals and five assists in the 16 appearances he made for the Hammers during his loan spell last season, it’s understandable, in our view, that the club would be keen to make a move to sign him again this summer on a permanent basis, should the opportunity arise.
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However, taking into account just how well the Englishman did at West Ham last season, this could make the Red Devils reluctant to let him go if they feel he can have a similar sort of impact on their team as he did on loan with the Hammers, as well as the fact that he is a product of their youth academy and has made over 200 appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring 33 goals and providing 20 assists in the process (per Transfermarkt).
Moving forward, with the summer transfer window set to close at the end of the month, if West Ham can secure Lingard on a permanent deal and he can pick up where he left off in terms of his output on the pitch, this, we feel, would be a great bit of business for the east London club.
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